Lifetime Ban Issued to Weightlifter over Controversial Handshake

The Weightlifting Federation of Iran has imposed a lifetime ban on weightlifter Mostafa Rajaee for shaking hands with an Israeli opponent at the World Master Weightlifting Championships in Poland. This move goes against the norms of sportsmanship embraced by most sports organizations. Rajaee, a former member of the Iranian national team, won the silver medal at the non-professional competition and was captured on film engaging in friendly gestures with Israel’s Maksim Svirsky, who finished third. The Iranian Weightlifting Federation deemed this act “unacceptable and unforgivable.”

Iran’s refusal to acknowledge Israel as a country extends to the realm of sports, where Iranians are prohibited from competing against Israelis in various sports, including judo and chess. Citing this policy, Iranian athletes often withdraw from competitions or feign injuries to avoid facing Israeli opponents. The Weightlifting Federation’s statement, as reported by the Jerusalem Post, expressed strong condemnation for Rajaee’s actions, stating that it is contrary to the ideals of the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to their statement, battling against the Zionist regime and its supporters is a key aspect of the republic’s strategic policy.

In addition to banning Rajaee, the federation has disbanded the committee for veteran weightlifters and dismissed Hamid Salehinia, the head of the Iranian delegation. Further measures will be taken against those involved after conducting thorough investigations. Rajaee, in an Instagram post following the event, expressed his gratitude to everyone who supported him during his second-place finish but failed to mention the ban or the incident leading up to it. Svirsky, the Israeli weightlifter, expressed his shock at the outcome and criticized the introduction of politics into sports. He emphasized that shaking hands is a fundamental display of respect. (Read more Iran stories.)