By Daily Sports on February 18, 2018

Wrestling's global sporting body has banned an Iranian athlete for six months for deliberately throwing a match to avoid an Israeli opponent.

Alireza Karimachiani was winning a match against his Russian opponent in November's under-23 world championships when his coach ordered him to lose.

If he had won, he would have faced an Israeli athlete in the next round.

Iran does not recognise the state of Israel and bans its athletes from competing against Israelis.

Iran's wrestling federation has said it will challenge the ban, which was announced by the United World Wrestling Disciplinary Chamber on Friday.

"Karimachiani, on instruction of his coach Jamshidi, wilfully lost his 1/8 finals match against Alikhan Zhabrilov," the chamber said, referring to the Russian opponent in the match.

"Both wrestler and coach were found to have acted in direct violation of the International Wrestling Rules... and the UWW Disciplinary Regulations," it added.

Karimachiani's ban was set to run for two years from the date of the incident - making him eligible to compete in late May 2018.

•Photo shows Alireza Karimachiani.

Source Daily Sports

Posted February 18, 2018

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