Players from Israel have been debarred from participating in January 2025's World Indoor Bowls Championships. Three Israelis were slated to take part at the championships, which will be held in Norfolk, England, but their invites have been revoked. (More Sports News)
Amnon Amar and Itai Rigbi have been withdrawn from the pairs section, and Daniel Alomin can no longer compete in the singles.
In a statement, the World Bowls Tour said that there had been a "significant escalation in related political concerns" after the involvement of Israeli bowlers at the Scottish International Open in August. "This decision was not taken lightly and has been made in the best interests of the event's success and integrity," the statement added.
Member of parliament Rupert Lowe, whose Great Yarmouth constituency includes the event's venue Hopton-on-Sea, said he was "genuinely disgusted" by the decision and would "fight" it.
Lowe wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): "As far as I am concerned as the local MP, these individuals are welcome in our constituency. Sport should be a unifier, and it should be above politics."
The Board of Deputies of British Jews said: "There can be no justification for this overt act of discrimination against Israeli participants, who are excluded solely on the basis of their nationality."
Meanwhile, World Bowls, the sport's governing body which is distinct from the World Bowls Tour, said Israeli players were still welcome to play in its events.
A statement from World Bowls chief executive officer Neil Dalrymple read: "The World Bowls Tour (WBT) is not affiliated with World Bowls and is a separate organisation that organises the World Indoor Bowls Championship staged in January each year. Their decision to deny entry for some players from Israel to this event in January 2025 is a decision that the WBT Directors have made and World Bowls has no connection or involvement in this decision.
"World Bowls has 60 member countries from across the world including Israel and all of our members continue to be welcome and eligible to participate in all World Bowls staged events. At our recent World Bowls Junior Indoor Championships in Hong Kong China in early December, we were pleased to have Israel represented at this event."
