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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Outcry as UAE, Bahrain send cycling teams in race held in Israel |
| 2018-05-07 |
| [Al Jazeera] The Paleostinian Olympic Committee (POC) has blasted Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for sending two cycling teams to participate in the 101st Giro d'Italia cycling competition, which kicked off on Friday in Jerusalem. For the first time in its history, a competitive leg of the world-famous race was held this year outside of Europe. After starting in Jerusalem, the 21-day race continued over the weekend from Haifa to Tel Aviv and from Be'er Sheva to Eilat in the south. The event, which features 176 cyclists from 22 teams, is now set to continue in Italia where it will conclude in the capital, Rome. However, it was a brave man who first ate an oyster... the decision to kick off the event in Jerusalem was met with widespread condemnation from Paleostinian officials and activists who accused organisers of "whitewashing Israel's ongoing crimes". In a statement on Sunday, the POC also urged the UAE and Bahrain national committees to withdraw their participants from an event it described as "a disgrace to anyone who stands behind it or participates in it". The committee called out the Arab cyclists for their "disloyalty" and for participating in a "free service for the [Israeli] occupation that does not recognise international laws, resolutions and charters of the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... on the rights of the Paleostinian people and continues to deny the right of the Paleostinian Arab people to establish their independent state on their land with Jerusalem as its capital". |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 A few things: 1) Why bother to complain about this after the three stages in Israel are over? Today's a rest day whilst they go back to Italy to continue the other stages of the race. 2) The two teams in question are UAE- Team Emirates with one rider from Morocco, Anass El Abdia and Bahrain Meridia Pro Cycling Team, with zero Arab riders. The three Grand Tours (Giro, Tour de France and Vuelta e Espana) are where teams generate maximum exposure, so the goal for all pro teams is to get a squad into these races (and get stage wins, wear a leaders jersey for a few days, etc.) or you're not going to be a squad for very long. A pretty weak 'outcry' if you ask me. |
| Posted by: Raj 2018-05-07 08:23 |