KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – The sport’s governing body announced that a major squash event in Malaysia has been canceled after the Muslim-majority country stirred outrage by refusing to issue visas to Israeli players.
It is the latest example of the Southeast Asian country having no diplomatic connections with Israel, with the exception of Israeli athletes. The men’s World Team Championship was scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur from December 7 to 12, with 26 teams competing.
The world squash championship has been canceled as Malaysia refused to accept Israeli players.
However, the World Squash Federation (WSF) and Malaysia’s squash federation announced it was scrapped because of the “possibility that some nations would be unable to compete due to a lack of confirmation over visas being issued.”
WSF president Zena Wooldridge said sports officials tried to “push Malaysia’s highest authorities to ensure that all participating teams, including Israel, are able to enter Malaysia and compete.”
“It’s critical to WSF that no country that wants to compete misses out on the competition.”
Countries that participated in a tournament from which Israel was prohibited would be blind to “racism and discrimination,” according to Israel’s squash association.
If the WSF did not fix the matter, the association threatened to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
The WSF said the cancellation was motivated by the new Omicron coronavirus type, which it thinks will harm travel to Malaysia.
Because of coronavirus-related travel restrictions, the competition was transferred from New Zealand to Malaysia earlier this year.
Malaysia’s right to host the World Para Swimming Championships was revoked in 2019 when it threatened to refuse Israeli swimmers.
In 2015, Israeli windsurfers were forced to withdraw from a tournament on the Malaysian island of Langkawi due to visa issues.
In Malaysia, where over 60% of the population is ethnic Malay Muslims, the Palestinian cause has broad sympathy, and admission into the nation on an Israeli passport is prohibited.
