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Israeli cycling team Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) has lost its main sponsor despite complying with the sponsor’s request to remove the word “Israel” from the team name.
Canadian company Premier Tech announced it was ending its partnership with the team in a statement released Friday.
“After multiple discussions with the team and careful evaluation of all relevant circumstances, Premier Tech has decided to step down as co-title sponsor of the team effective immediately,” the statement said.
“While we note the team’s decision to change its name for the 2026 season, the primary reason Premier Tech sponsors the team has been overshadowed to a point where it has become unsustainable for us to continue as a sponsor.”
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American cyclist for the Israel Premier Tech team, Matthew Riccitello, crosses the finish line during the 14th stage of the Vuelta a España, a 135-kilometer race between Avilés and La Farrapona. (Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Images)
In September, after agreeing to drop “Israel” from its name, the team said it “expects it to evolve into a new name that excludes ‘Israel,’ leading to a new identity and brand.”
Pak Gazette Digital has contacted IPT for comment.
The team was excluded from an October race in Italy, the Giro dell’Emilia, due to concerns about possible disruptions. Pro-Palestine protests.
Organizers made the decision after protesters repeatedly disrupted the recent Vuelta a España in the presence of Israel’s Premier Tech.
Seven of the last 11 days of Vuelta racing were shortened or interrupted because the Spanish government estimated that more than 100,000 people were on the streets of Madrid during the final stage in September.
The protesters said their actions were aimed at denouncing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza after Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Pro-Palestinian protesters and the Israel Premier Tech cycling team (Getty Images)
The IPT’s loss of sponsorship is just one example of the recent difficulties facing Israeli sports teams and fans amid rising tensions over the country’s war in Gaza.
Israel’s national gymnastics team was denied visas to enter Indonesia for the World Gymnastics Championships in October.
TEAM ISRAEL GYMNASTS TALK AFTER THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT EXHIBITED THEM FROM THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Indonesian government cited security concerns to deny the visas, but a spokesperson for the Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) confirmed to Pak Gazette Digital that the the security of the country The team gave permission to its athletes.
“We received authorization from the Israeli security authorities to participate in the World Championship subject to the necessary security protocols. On our part, all preparations were complete: registration process, entry visas to Indonesia and confirmation from the Israeli security authorities,” the IGF said.
Israeli male gymnast Eyal Indig previously told Pak Gazette Digital that his country’s security team gave him and his teammates clearance to enter the city, citing decades-old security measures that the country’s sports teams have used since the 1972 Munich Olympics, when eight terrorists associated with the group Black September infiltrated the Olympic Village in a failed mission to take Israeli athletes hostage.
“For us it was very strange,” Indig said. “That same security did a scan a week before our flight in Indonesia. They were in Indonesia and cleared everything in terms of security. So, we had full clearance from Israel’s security team, and believe me, they wouldn’t clear anything that wasn’t safe. And our federation kept telling us it was safe.”
Indig later called Indonesia’s decision “a blatant incident of discrimination on the basis of nationality.”
The Indonesian Embassy in the United States responded to Pak Gazette Digital’s request for comment by saying, “The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia has no further comments to share on this matter.”
Indonesian Sports Minister Erick Thohir previously defended his country’s decision in a statement in the last week of October.
Lihie Raz of Israel performs at left during the 10th European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antalya, Turkey, on April 12, 2023. At right, protesters gather in front of the US Embassy to express solidarity with Palestinians during an anti-Israel demonstration in Jakarta, Indonesia, on October 26, 2025. (Getty Images)
“We adhere to the principle of maintaining security, public order and public interest when hosting every international event,” Thohir said.
Meanwhile, fans of the Israeli soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from attending the team’s recent match against Aston Villa in the United Kingdom this week, also for security reasons. Maccabi Tel Aviv FC fans were reportedly subjected to violence in Amsterdam before and during the soccer team’s match against Ajax last year.
However, riots still broke out during Thursday’s game, with anti-Israel protesters nearby.
British the police said Six people were arrested on Thursday before the Israeli team’s match against Aston Villa in the Europa League.
About 200 protesters gathered near a park near Aston Villa Park’s Trinity Road stand. Among these protesters were members of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, according to The Associated Press. Some pro-Israel protesters were also present.
