Tunisian chess players boycott Israelis at FIDE tournament in Greece
The three Tunisian players who refused to play with Israeli participants were removed from the tournament
Tunisian chess players boycotted their Israeli competitors 12 times at the FIDE World School Chess Championships in Greece, media reported Sunday.
The tournament was held on the island of Rhodes on April 13-23. Among the Israeli players who were boycotted was a nine-year-old Noam Sasson.
"I came to the championship together with my father and my coach and I really wanted to play in all the championship games and represent Israel with pride," he was quoted as saying.
Last year, the young player won the European chess championship.
"I met participants from all over the world here and I always prefer playing on the board than sitting on the sidelines. I hope that the boy who boycotted me doesn't hate me, God forbid, and that in the future we can play together," Sasson said about the situation.
The three Tunisian players who refused to play with Israeli participants were removed from the tournament following requests from several parents, who said the boycott was against the spirit of the game.
Last November, the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in a letter to FIDE demanded that the World Team Championship be relocated from Jerusalem. Despite calls for boycott, all 11 foreign national teams arrived in Israel to participate in the tournament.