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The Israeli national judo team has withdrawn from a major competition in Uzbekistan on the orders of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency due to security concerns after the country declared war on Iran.
The Israel Judo Association (IJA), widely considered the country’s most successful Olympic sports program, was forced to abandon the Tashkent Grand Slam and leave Uzbekistan, as tensions rise amid Israel’s attack on Iran and Iran’s subsequent counterattack, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Recent attacks between Israel and Iran have caused disruption to sports teams in both countries.
Israel national gym equipment has suspended all team training and activities amid the recent Iranian counterattack on the country following the US-assisted attacks on Iran.
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He Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) provided a statement to Pak Gazette Digital announcing that the violence has caused “unavoidable disruptions.”
““The current security situation in our region has resulted in inevitable disruptions to our regular training schedule and has created significant uncertainty regarding the professional plans of the national teams, particularly now that we are at the beginning of the international season,” the statement read.
“At this time, all training activities have been temporarily suspended, pending approval from the relevant authorities to safely resume operations,” he continued. “Naturally, the suspension of training and the closure of airspace is causing considerable stress and concern. However, the safety and well-being of our gymnasts and professional staff remains our top priority. We sincerely look forward to safer, calmer days when we can focus solely on sport.”
A source within the team told Pak Gazette Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts have been moving between bomb shelters since Iran’s counterattacks began.
Meanwhile, the President of the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mehdi Taj, suggested that his team will not compete in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“What is certain is that after this attack, we cannot wait with hope for the World Cup,” Taj told sports portal Varzesh3 on Sunday. “The American regime has attacked our homeland and this is an incident that will not go unanswered.”
“Tomorrow we will deal with football games; tonight we will celebrate their opportunity for freedom,” said Andrew Guiliani, director of the White House World Cup task force, wrote in X on Saturday.
FIFA also noted that it will closely monitor the situation with Iran.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has ordered all U.S. government employees and their family members to continue sheltering in place, either at or near their residences, as necessary. Iran keeps shooting missiles against Israel.
Iranian airstrikes killed at least eight Israelis on Sunday when Tehran’s latest missile barrage fell just miles from Jerusalem.
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Iran’s army has carried out counterattacks against Israel and US bases in the Middle East after a joint US-Israeli attack killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah. Ali Khamenei on Saturday.
The strikes also killed several other senior Iranian leaders, including the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
