An Iranian female taekwondo athlete has withdrawn from the world Under-21 championships in Nairobi, Kenya — refusing to fight after being matched against an Israeli competitor.
Withdrawal in Protest
Rozhan Goudarzi was due to compete in the –49 kg category at the Under-21 World Taekwondo Championships. However, when the draw placed her in the first round against an athlete from Israel, she chose to withdraw from the tournament rather than accept the matchup.
Her decision came after a sudden and unexpected reshuffling of the draw — a change in how athletes from the host nation were seeded. That alteration resulted in Goudarzi being paired with the Israeli athlete, prompting her to step down.
Official Reaction
The head of the Iranian Taekwondo Federation, Hadi Saei, personally visited the lodging of World Taekwondo officials to protest the altered draw. He argued that, under official regulations, the host nation Kenya should have been placed in the fourth seed — a rule that had not been followed, leading to the reshuffled bracket. Despite his strong objection, organizers insisted that the competition bracket could not be changed.
In the end, Saei’s protests had no effect, and Rozhan Goudarzi — who had undergone significant weight cutting to qualify for the 49-kg division — ultimately withdrew from the competition.
A Shadow of Politics Over Sport
The Under-21 World Championships — held this week in Nairobi — have been overshadowed by the political dimensions of this withdrawal.
It is worth noting that Goudarzi had recently won a bronze medal in the women’s –51 kg category at the Islamic Solidarity Games.
From: IRIB