Yemen sacks chess team for Israel game
Published: 7:12PM
Wednesday September 22, 2010
Source: Reuters

Yemen’s sports minister has dismissed the Yemeni national chess team for playing against Israel in an international tournament, a government website said today.

The team was participating in the World Chess Olympics in Belarus when it played their Israeli opponents, the official September 26 Net website said.

Yemen is a member of the World Chess Federation, ranking 89th in a list of 154 countries.

Israel is ranked 5th.

Some Arab sports teams have cancelled participation in international championships in the past because of Israel’s participation.

Source: http://tvnz.co.nz

Yemen fires Chess Board and players after meetings with Israelis

[22/September/2010]

SANA’A, Sep. 22 (Saba) – Minister of Youth and Sports Hamoud Ubad sacked on Tuesday the board of directors of the Yemeni Chess Union and all chess players who met with Israelis during their participation in the chess championship currently held in Belarus.

Meeting Israelis was personal act and not in line with Yemen’s official plans rejecting any kind of normalization with Israel, Ubad said.

The Ministry of Youth and Sports will hold accountable who acted like that because all Yemenis at the championship were notified if one’s lots brought them to play with an Israeli they would withdraw, said Ubad, as he noted the team has already withdrawn from the championship and is expected home soon.

FR
Saba

http://www.sabanews.net

Posted by Picasa
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Tags: , , , ,