The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have stripped Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships after the country banned Israeli athletes from participating.
Malaysia was due to host the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, a qualifying event for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. However Malaysia, which is a majority Muslim country, announced this month that it would bar Israelis from any event held in the South-east Asia nation to stand in solidarity with Palestine..
In a statement, the IPC held the decision to strip Malaysia of the right to host the event was taken after the Home Ministry "failed to provide the necessary guarantees that Israeli Para swimmers could participate, free from discrimination, and safely in the Championships."
Despite the IPC's decision on Sunday, Malaysian officials defended the decision to bar Israelis, "If hosting an international sporting event is more important than standing up for our Palestinian brothers and sisters who get murdered, maimed and tortured by the Netanyahu regime, that means Malaysia has truly lost its moral compass," Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said in a statement.
Head of the IPC said, "Politics and sport are never a good mix and we are disappointed that Israeli athletes would not have been allowed to compete in Malaysia,". A new venue is to be sought for the same dates of the event which is due to run 29 July to 4 August.