World Surf League removes Israeli flag from competitor's profile during Morocco event
Israel's Olympic surfer Anat Lelior competed at last month's WSL (World Surf League) Qualifying Series event in Morocco with her nationality designation temporarily altered. During the Pro Taghazout Bay competition, the Israeli flag was absent from Lelior's profile on the WSL website, where she was instead classified as «World». The flag reappeared once the event concluded.
According to The Inertia, this decision likely aimed to protect Lelior during her time in Morocco amid tensions related to the Gaza conflict. Israel had previously issued travel advisories urging its citizens to exercise caution when traveling to several countries, including Morocco, citing security concerns.
WSL did not provide immediate clarification about the flag removal, while the Israeli Surfing Association acknowledged the situation but deferred to Lelior's management team, the same source added.
Lelior secured third place in the competition, earning 1825 points toward her Qualifying Series ranking and $2,000 in prize money after being defeated by Portugal's Francisca Veselko in the semifinals. Following the event, Lelior posted on Instagram: «3rd place finish in Taghazout, Morocco. Qualified for the Challenger Series! Not much to say other than, let's go! Proud of myself».
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
6 days ago
- Morocco World
Hungarian Low-Cost Wizz Air Eyes Morocco Routes With New Israel Base
Doha – Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air plans to establish a base at Ben Gurion Airport and may add routes from Israel to Morocco, according to Israeli Channel 13. This development comes as most foreign airlines have halted operations to Tel Aviv following Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza carried out by Netanyahu's government. According to Channel 13, Israeli Transport Minister Miri Regev and Wizz Air's CEO have reached an agreement for the airline to open a base in Israel. This move represents a 'game-changing event' as Wizz Air operates a fleet of 230 aircraft, potentially leading to significant price reductions for flights. While Irish low-cost airline Ryanair announced last week the cancellation of all its flights until August, Wizz Air reportedly sees business potential in the absence of foreign carriers in Israel due to Houthi threats and larger regional instability due to the genocide. The airline plans to increase its passenger capacity from Israel by at least threefold. The expansion will include additional flights on existing European routes from Ben Gurion Airport and new destinations such as India, with Morocco also mentioned as a possibility. The agreement, expected to be signed in July, includes a condition from Minister Regev that Wizz Air operate domestic flights between Tel Aviv and Eilat. This also follows the suspension of flights between Morocco and Israel since October 2023, when Israel launched its brutal military assault on Gaza. Despite Regev's controversial visit to Morocco in February for a road safety conference, Israeli security officials dismissed reports about imminent resumption of direct flights. An Israeli security source told Mako news that flights could not resume while Morocco remains under a Level 3 travel warning. 'We will not take risks regarding the lives of Israelis,' the official claimed, citing what he called 'anti-Israel' demonstrations across Morocco. This stands in stark contrast to past reports showing an influx of Israeli tourists in recent years, with no reported incidents of anti-Jewish sentiment or attacks. Prior to October 2023, several carriers operated direct flights between the two countries, including Royal Air Maroc, El Al, Israir, and Arkia, connecting Tel Aviv with Marrakech and Casablanca. Morocco had been gaining popularity among Israeli tourists, with approximately 70,000 Israelis visiting in 2022 and numbers climbing toward 200,000 in 2023 before the Gaza genocide. Mounting challenges to Israeli aviation Israel's aviation sector currently faces serious challenges. Most foreign airlines suspended flights to Tel Aviv after a Houthi missile struck inside the grounds of Ben Gurion Airport on May 4. According to Israeli Channel 12, fewer than 25 airlines are still operating in Israel, compared to around 50 before the attack. The situation has stranded thousands of Israelis abroad, forcing Minister Regev to hold emergency meetings with heads of Israeli carriers to discuss solutions. Daily passenger traffic at Ben Gurion Airport has dropped to around 40,000 people per day, down from approximately 70,000 at the end of April. Foreign airlines are now demanding changes to Israel's passenger compensation laws before resuming flights. A group of 20 foreign carriers has urged the Transportation Ministry to declare a special security situation and temporarily limit passenger compensation rights to make flight resumptions more feasible. The airlines argue that Israel's 2012 Aviation Services Law was never intended to cover prolonged periods of state-led aggression and siege like the ongoing assault on Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023. The Hamas attack was a response to the Hebrew state's repeated violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque — and the broader context of occupation, displacement, and systemic injustice imposed on Palestinians since 1948 and even earlier. Read also: Israeli Government Approves Maritime Transport Deal with Morocco Tags: Morocco IsraelWizz Air
Morocco World
30-05-2025
- Morocco World
World Boxing Imposes Sex Testing on Competitors, Including Imane Khelif
Rabat – World Boxing announced on Friday that it will require all athletes over 18 to undergo mandatory sex testing before participating in its competitions, including Imane Khelif. The decision comes after controversy involving women's welterweight gold medallist Imane Khelif at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Algerian athlete's participation raised questions about her gender identity and apparently prompted World Boxing to take this action. This new rule, World Boxing says, aims to confirm the eligibility of male and female boxers by checking their biological sex. Under the new policy, athletes must take a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test to detect the presence of the Y chromosome, which indicates biological sex. The test can be done using a nasal or mouth swab, saliva, or blood sample. World Boxing said it informed the Algerian Boxing Federation that Khelif must undergo this test before she can compete in the upcoming Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands from June 5 to 10. 'World Boxing has written to the Algerian Boxing Federation to inform it that Imane Khelif will not be allowed to participate in the female category at the Eindhoven Box Cup or any World Boxing event until Imane Khelif undergoes sex testing,' it said in a statement. National federations will handle the testing process and must provide proof of an athlete's chromosomal sex when entering them into World Boxing events. Khelif became the subject of widespread rumors and claims questioning her gender during the 2024 Paris Olympics. These allegations spread quickly on social media and were amplified by several public figures, leading to intense online harassment and misinformation targeting the boxer. In response to this cyberbullying, Khelif took legal action by filing a criminal complaint in France for aggravated cyber harassment, naming some of those responsible for spreading the false claims. In addition, her family, including her father, came forward to defend Khelif, even showing her birth certificate and childhood pictures. Despite the backlash, Khelif went on to win the gold medal in the women's welterweight boxing category. Following her Olympic success, she announced plans to continue her career by moving up to the 70 kg weight class and aiming to compete again at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Morocco World
26-05-2025
- Morocco World
Soufiane El Bakkali Satisfied with Race Victory, Thanks King
Rabat – Moroccan star Soufiane El Bakkali won the World Leading Time of the year in the 3000-meter steeplechase during the Mohammed VI International Athletics Meeting, the fourth leg of the 2025 Diamond League. El Bakkali, a double Olympic and World Champion, reached his newest milestone on Sunday at the annex Olympic Stadium of the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex in Rabat. He clocked a time of 8 minutes 00.70 seconds to win the race and set the World Leading time of the year, finishing ahead of Germany's Frederik Ruppert and Kenya's Edmund Serem. In a statement following the race, El Bakkali expressed his pride and happiness at winning the race in front of Moroccan fans and his mother. He also commended the quality of the new track at Rabat's Olympic stadium, describing it as 'first-class.' This will attract many world-class athletes to Morocco in the coming years, he said. El Bakkali also thanked King Mohammed VI for prioritizing sports and the development of sports infrastructure across Morocco. He vowed to make Morocco proud as his next two races, including in Paris. The Paris race will serve as a training ground for his World Championship. 'I finished the race comfortably. I thank all the people and fans who supported and came to cheer on Soufiane El Bakkali,' he said. In April, El Bakkali came second in the 3000-meter steeplechase at the Diamond League in Xiamen in China. In the Paris 224 Olympics, he successfully secured the gold medal in the men's steeplechase, following his first Olympic gold at Tokyo in 2020. He also claimed gold at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 20223 and Eugene, as well as in the US in 2022. Tags: cycling race in marrakechSoufiane El Bakkali
