Kuwaiti player Bader al-Hajri withdrew on Tuesday from the competitions of the Sunway international chess championship held in Spain after he refused to face a player from the Israeli occupation state.
Hajri is one of Kuwait’s chess champions and has participated in several local and international tournaments. He won first place in the “San Sebastian” championship in Spain in 2015 despite the participation of renowned veteran players from different countries.
Last April Kuwaiti fencer Mohamed al-Fadli withdrew from the world fencing championship held in Dubai after he refused to play with an Israeli contestant.
In September 2019 Fadli also withdrew from an international tournament in the Dutch capital Amsterdam after the draw placed him in a group competing with an Israeli player.
Kuwaiti players’ participation in international sports events has seen withdrawals recently after draws placed them in matches against Israeli players.
Arab social media activists applauded such steps by Kuwaiti athletes and players as “part of Kuwait’s supportive positions towards the Palestinian cause.”
