The Tunisian Boccia player Achref Tayahi refused to face his opponents and withdrew from the paralympic games to avoid having to face an Israeli opponent.
This is the first that Achref Tayahi, 31, participated in the Paralympic Games. The adventure turned short following his decision to boycott the games. And yet Achref Tayahi, proud to represent Tunisia at this great event, was determined to give everything.
Placed in group C, with a Brazilian, Maciel Santos, a Dutchman, Marco Dekker and an Israeli, Nadav Shlomo Levi, Achref Tayahi decided to boycott the games.
He withdrew from yesterday’s match against his Brazilian opponent to protest his placement in the same group as an Israeli opponent and therefore lost by forfeit. Today, he also did not show up to face the Israeli.
A source in the Tunisian delegation told the British news site al-Arabby al-Jadeed that Tayahi withdrew from the Paralympic Games to avoid playing against the Israeli, and that his decision “represents a victory for the Palestinian cause”.
