This Olympic Judo star fled the tyrannical regime of his home country, to be able to compete in the sport he loves. Along the way, he found many friends to support his freedom – among them those who were supposed to be his “enemy.”
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“It was the first Olympic medal for Mollaei, two years after he left his native Iran, revealing that his national team coaches had ordered him to lose in the semifinals of the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo to avoid facing Israel’s Sagi Muki in the final. Mollaei subsequently moved to Germany and then acquired Mongolian citizenship. Mollaei told the Israeli Sports Channel that he was thankful for the support he’s received from Israel over the years.”