Jordanian Table Tennis Player Pulls Out of Match to Avoid Facing Israeli Opponent
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by JNS.org
A protester holds up a Jordanian national flag during a protest in Amman, Jordan June 4, 2018. Photo: REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed.
JNS.org – A Jordanian national table-tennis player recently withdrew from the World Para Table Tennis Championships in Slovenia to avoid playing against an Israeli athlete, confirmed the Jordanian Paralympic Committee.
Player Osama Abu Jame pulled out of the championships after reaching the quarter-finals, where he was scheduled to compete against an Israeli, according to the publication The New Arab.
The international competition, held June 3-5, saw a total of 153 men and 75 women representing 52 national Olympic committees. It serves to qualify players for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo beginning in August.
Jordan and Israel signed a peace deal in 1994, 15 years after Egypt did so; nevertheless, Israeli relations with both countries have wavered between warm and cold over the years.
