Iranian defector dedicates Olympic silver medal to Israel

Iranian defector Saeid Mollaei has dedicated his first Olympic medal to Israel, thanking the country for the support they have given him.

Representing Mongolia in Tokyo, Mollaei won silver in the men’s 81kg judo final on Tuesday.

He defected from Iran in 2019 after disobeying a direct order to withdraw from the Judo World Championships to avoid fighting Israel’s Sagi Muki.

Mollaei trained in Isreal with the national judo team ahead of the Olympics and chose to dedicate his medal to the nation.

“Thank you to Israel for the good energy. This medal is dedicated also to Israel,” he said.