Israeli wins Thai boxing medal after Palestinian pulls out
This is not the first time that an Arab contestant has not faced an Israeli competitor.
By ALLON SINAIUpdated: AUGUST 9, 2017 23:02Amit Mdah wins bronze in Thailand. (photo credit: AYELET/COURTESY)
Israel’s Amit Mdah was gifted a bronze medal at the IFMA Youth muaythai World Championships in Bangkok on Tuesday when his Palestinian opponent failed to show up for their quarterfinal match-up.The 16-year-old Mdah, who hails from the Druse-Arab town of Kisra-Sumei in the Western Galilee, was supposed to face Acbag Sultan, a resident of the Ramallah district, in the last eight, but the Palestinian teenager never appeared for their fight.Mdah eventually ended the age 16-17 under-54 kilogram competition with a bronze medal after losing to Ukrainian Andrii Mezentsev in the semifinals.The head of the Palestinian Association of Kickboxing and Muaythai, Muhammad Ahmad Zeidani, told Palestinian news agency Ma’an on Tuesday that Sultan didn’t face his Israeli opponent “as there has not yet been an official Palestinian decision over whether to face Israeli athletes in any sporting event.”The Israeli delegation claimed another medal in Bangkok on Tuesday, with Elad Suman taking the bronze in the under-67kg competition.
