Israeli kickboxer Guy Hagag was due to face a fighter from Jordan on Saturday morning in the final of the Kickboxing World Cup in Thailand, but his opponent chose to boycott the bout, according to Israeli officials.
The Jordanian arrived at the arena and took part in the weigh-in ahead of the competition, but once he understood that Hagag would be his opponent, he announced he was injured and withdrew from the fight, according to the account provided by Hagag’s team. He also did not appear on the podium.
“I am very proud of Guy, who insists on representing Israel even when all the conditions are against him, and does so in the best possible way,” Hagag’s coach, Ronen Edelstein, said.
Hagag, 22, began his run in the quarterfinals, where he defeated an opponent from Uzbekistan. In the semifinals, he beat a fighter from Mauritius to advance to the final.
A day earlier at the same championship, another Jordanian opponent did not show up for a semifinal bout against Israeli fighter Yosef Eyvazli, who later went on to win the gold medal.
Eric Kaplan, president and CEO of the Eilat Association for non-Olympic sports, said it was “very sad” that international sports bodies do not condemn such incidents more strongly and do not act more decisively to prevent them from recurring, including through clear punishment for athletes who boycott Israelis.
He added that Israel must address the issue with full force and create a dedicated task force, saying its importance goes far beyond sports.