TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s student news agency says the former head of Iran’s wrestling federation is asking the country’s diplomats to take responsibility and support athletes who refuse to compete against Israelis.
The government usually rewards athletes for such behavior but Rasoul Khadem says diplomats stop short of taking a position in the international sports community.
Saturday’s ISNA report quotes Khadem as saying Iran’s diplomats should defend the country’s political positions in sport. He resigned from his position this week.
Israel and Iran are bitter adversaries and Iranian athletes traditionally refrain from competing against Israelis.
In November, an Iranian wrestler received a six-month ban by United World Wrestling after his manager ordered him to intentionally lose to avoid facing an Israeli wrestler. Iran’s sports ministry praised the athlete for supporting “human values.”
Iran’s former wrestling chief criticizes government
Iran’s former wrestling chief criticizes government
Nantes axe coach Kantari, turn to club hero Halilhodzic
- The 73-year-old Halilhodzic was a star striker for Nantes in the 1980s
- Halilhodzic’s first match in charge will be against Strasbourg
NANTES, France: Struggling Nantes fired coach Ahmed Kantari on Tuesday and announced veteran Vahid Halilhodzic would take over “until the end of the season.”
Kantari was hired on December 10 but lost eight out of 10 Ligue 1 matches, concluding with a 1-0 home loss to Angers.
Nantes are 17th in the table facing automatic relegation.
The 73-year-old Halilhodzic was a star striker for Nantes in the 1980s and led the club to the 1983 French title with 27 goals. He had an earlier stint as the club’s coach, when he took over eight games into the 2018-19 season.
His long management career has also included stops at Lille, Rennes, Paris Saint-Germain, Raja Casablanca, Dynamo Zagreb, Trabzonspor (twice) and coaching the national teams of Japan, Algeria, Ivory Coast and finally Morocco, where his three year stint ended in 2022 with what appeared to be retirement.
Halilhodzic’s first match in charge will be against Strasbourg, contenders for European qualification, on the March 22, before two crucial away games at last-placed Metz and then Auxerre who are currently two points and one place above Nantes in the relegation-playoff spot.
