Kuwaiti martial arts fighter Mohamed Otaibi withdrew on Saturday from the world Karate championship held in Azerbaijan after he refused to face a rival player from the Israeli occupation state.
Arab social media activists applauded Otaibi for his position against normalization of sports relations with the Israeli occupation state describing his step as “part of Kuwait’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause.”
Kuwaiti athletes’ participation in international sports events has seen withdrawals in recent months after draws placed them in matches against Israeli players.
