Sport and politics don’t mix: Israeli windsurfers banned from Malaysia

Two Israeli windsurfers were refused immigration visas and were unable to compete in the 45th Youth Sailing World Championships in Langkawi, Malaysia. Yoav Omer and Noy Drihan had won the Men’s Under 19 and Women’s Under 17 and Under 19 divisions at the RS:X Youth World Championships, in July 2015, but the Malaysian Government decided they were not welcome in the country. Malaysia considers that Israeli has illegally occupied Palestine, and the diplomatic connections between both nations are inexistent. However, and according to the rules of World Sailing – the world’s governing body for the sport of sailing – the organising host must ensure that all national sailing authorities can send their teams to participate on equal… more