North West Triathlon Club claims athletes not being banned ‘because of their religion or ethnicity’ but over ‘attempt to present normality… while Palestinians continue to suffer’
Israeli athletes who were due to compete in an international triathlon in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry this weekend will no longer be taking part, race organizers said Thursday.
North West Triathlon Club (NWTC) said it had made “strong representations” that it could not support the participation of four Israeli athletes in the Europe Triathlon Cup.
But Julie Middleton, a member of the legislative Northern Ireland assembly for the pro-UK Democratic Unionist Party, said the fact the Israeli quartet had been barred from a race set to feature up to 200 athletes from around the world was “an awful reflection on Londonderry.”
Middleton added: “An international sporting event that should showcase our city’s hospitality and openness has instead become associated with the exclusion of athletes because they are Israeli.”
