Asi Maman 26/01/2021 18:47
Said Moulay and Sagi Muki (Reuters, Hagai Michaeli)
Will the Iranian judoka come to Israel? Said Mulai registered tonight (Tuesday) for the Tel Aviv Judo Grand Slam which will take place next month. If he does land in Israel and compete, he is expected to meet Sagi Muki weighing up to 81 kg for the first time, in a battle between two world champions.
As you may recall, Moulay defected from his homeland Iran and moved to represent Mongolia, after the Iranians refused to allow him to compete with Muki during the World Cup in Tokyo. Since then, Moulay has not competed against Muki – and if he does come to Israel, it may be the story of the year in world sports.
It should be noted that in the past, an Iranian also registered for the competition in Tel Aviv but did not appear in the end. Beyond that, more than 200 Jews were registered, but the Israeli union fears that they will not be able to arrive in Israel due to the closure of Ben Gurion Airport. The Ministry of Culture and Sports is working with the Ministry of Health and the National Security Council to approve the entry of judokas even if the field remains closed.
