Lebanese players express pride in withdrawing from matches vs Israelis

By Ahmad Karakira
Source: Al Mayadeen Net
16 Sep 2022 00:14

Charbel Abu Daher and Nadia Fawaz, two Lebanese champions who refused to compete against Israeli athletes, tell Al Mayadeen they prefer losing over competing with Israelis.

Lebanese champions Charbel Abu Daher and Nadia Fawaz

Ragheb Harb, the Sheikh of the martyrs of the Islamic Resistance, once said his famous quote, "A handshake (with the enemy) is a recognition."

During his speech on the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Hezbollah, Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said, "Our bet is on young people like Charbel Abu Daher and Nadia Fawaz, who refused to compete against Israelis."

So who are Charbel Abu Daher and Nadia Fawaz?

Charbel Abu Daher, 14, is a Lebanese boxer who withdrew from the World Junior Championships, which took place in the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, in rejection of all forms of normalization.

Similarly, Nadia Fawaz, 12, is a Lebanese chess champion who withdrew from the 4th Abu Dhabi International Open Festival after the classification pitted her against an Israeli player in her fourth round, thus following in the footsteps of her fellow Lebanese sports champions who have rejected any normalization with "Israel".

The father of the Lebanese boxer expressed his pride in what his son had done, thanking Sayyed Nasrallah for the stance that praised the Lebanese player's decision.

In an exclusive interview for Al Mayadeen Net, both Charbel and Nadia expressed their pride in the honorable decision that they took, affirming that they would rather lose championships over competing with Israeli players; competitions that entail recognition of the Israeli occupation.

Charbel said that from a very young age, his father raised him not to compete against an Israeli opponent, adding that "if a draw places me in the face of an Israeli player, I wouldn’t play the fight out of respect for my country and martyrs."

What happened?

According to Charbel, the initial championship schedule placed him in a group with a Mexican, an Uzbek, and an American. But an hour before his fight on the next day, his father was shocked to know that an Israeli player was included in the new schedule.

The 14-year-old and his father tried contacting the Lebanese Federation that, in its turn, tried contacting the World Federation, but they couldn’t change anything, prompting Charbel to take the decision to withdraw.

Lebanese player Charbel Abu Daher.

"We knew that this was an intended scheme because someone told my father that only our schedule has changed and an Israeli opponent was included in it," Charbel told **Al Mayadeen Net.**

The young champion also revealed that the Israeli coach tried to approach the Lebanese team more than once and attempted to take a picture with Charbel's father who kept pushing him away.

For Charbel, what matters to him the most is the brave decision that he took, which helped him win people's hearts, stressing that "from the beginning, I have taken a decision not to compete against an Israeli, even if it costs me practicing the sport. I am proud of the decision that I took."

Lebanese player Charbel Abu Daher.

"Most of my friends saluted me for my decision to withdraw, while some told me that I could’ve competed against the Israeli opponent and defeated him, but I explained to them that had I faced him, I would have recognized Israel."

According to the young champion, after his withdrawal from the competition against the Israeli athlete, the Islamic Republic of Iran offered him an academic scholarship and the chance to train with its national team in preparation for the world championship that will be held in three months in Indonesia.

Charbel saluted Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and thanked him for the respect and value that he has honored him with, along with Captain Ali Nehme, Major-General Tony Saliba, the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, and his Excellency Sleiman Frangieh, in addition to everyone who supported him.

"Had I played this round, I would have brought disgrace"

On her part, Nadia, 12, said she did not expect the draw to place her against an Israeli competitor who was 1 out 400 players in the chess championship.

The Lebanese chess champion underlined that as soon as she received the schedule, she called her parents and informed them that she would not compete.

"Had I played this round, I would have brought disgrace to my family and myself, whereas the decision that I have taken brought me dignity and people’s love," Nadia told Al Mayadeen Net.

Lebanese player Nadia Fawaz.

The chess champion said, "People were proud of me and happy with the decision that I took, and I thank them for their love," indicating that "my friends encouraged me a lot and were happy with my decision. All of them called me and congratulated me on my stance."

In a message, the 12-year-old called on the Lebanese youth to love their country, encouraging them to take a decision similar to hers if they ever encounter the same situation.

With their patriotic stance, Abu Daher and Fawaz joined 8-year-old Mark Abou Deeb who withdrew from the World Cadet Chess Championships in Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain, and Abdullah Miniato, who withdrew from the World Mixed Martial Arts Championship last year in Bulgaria after a draw set them to confront Israeli opponents.

It is noteworthy that for the Israeli occupation, sports has always been a strategy for whitewashing genocide and the violation of human rights that it is committing against the Palestinian people.

For "Israel", investing in international sports events that attract the attention of billions around the world is a good opportunity to whitewash their crimes and distract people from human rights violations, such as occupying lands and killing people.