Lebanon’s Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters via a screen during a rally commemorating late Hezbollah commander Mustafa Badreddine who was killed in an attack in Syria, in Beirut suburbs, Lebanon May 20, 2022. REUTERS/Aziz Taher

The legal department of World Masters Athletics (WMA) said it is reviewing a complaint by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) regarding the actions of a Lebanese runner who withdrew from a recent competition to avoid racing against an athlete from Israel, the British legal group revealed to The Algemeiner on Tuesday.

Mazen Chreim pulled out from the semi-finals of the 200-meter race in the World Athletics Masters Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland, last month because the race included an Israeli runner. He explained his decision in a Facebook post, saying he consulted with the Lebanese Athletics Federation and was inspired by the late Hezbollah leader Sheikh Ragheb Harb, who refused to shake hands with Israelis. He also told Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television channel that he supports Hezbollah, does not formally recognize Israel, and refuses to take part in any competition where Israeli athletes are also participating.

Chreim’s actions were later praised by Abdul Salam Haneyya, assistant secretary-general of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports in Gaza, according to UKLFI, who cited Palestinian media. Organizers of the World Athletics Masters Indoor Championships reportedly expressed disappointment in the runner’s actions but have taken no disciplinary measures against him thus far.

“This leaves WMA in the uncomfortable position of having its event used as a platform for the cause of, and incitement for the policies of, designated terrorist organizations,” UKLFI wrote in its complaint to WMA on April 11. “The organizers of the competition did not stand up to that challenge and it is now up to WMA to choose whether it to allow its athletes to decide who they do and do not compete against, to use your events for political and discriminatory purposes, and to further the agenda of designated terror organizations.

“Instead, WMA can show that it will not allow its events to be hijacked for illegitimate purposes and that athletes will not be permitted to choose opponents based on their own views on ‘acceptability’ … failure to act in this case, beyond the organizers expressing ‘disappointment’ would allow a frontal assault on the principles of WMA. It would be entirely contrary to masters athletics interests, tarnish WMA’s reputation, and undermine its integrity.”

UKLFI pointed out that Chreim’s conduct violated a number of principles in the WMA Constitution and breached aspects of the World Athletics’ Integrity Code. The British pro-Israel group also told WMA withdrawing from events that include Israelis is “an established tactic” used to “isolate and delegitimize Israel” aside from also being discriminatory.

The group further called Chreim’s behavior “wholly unprofessional and discourteous” and added that him “boasting” in international media about refusing to compete against an Israeli for political and discriminatory reasons is “offensive and insulting.”

“How can friendly and cooperative competition be fostered if athletes can pick and choose who they compete against for their own reasons, use your events to broadcast their own causes, and incite others to emulate them?” UKLFI asked in its complaint. “To refuse to compete against opponents just because of the country they come from, is undermining of equality, and someone using the pronouncements of proscribed terror organizations to justify those actions should trouble WMA very deeply.”

WMA did not reply to The Algemeiner’s request for comment.