Judoka Saeid Mollaei: The Iranian people are proud of him
Saeid Mollaei is the first athlete from Iran to take part in a sporting competition in Israel since the Islamic Revolution. The judoka has sparked a fierce reaction in Iran as well as enthusiasm from its archenemy.
Mollaei s appearance in Israel will have pleased many in Iran, but not the regime Saeid Mollaei is a national hero for Iranians, Vahid Sarlak, a close friend of the 2018 and 2019 world half-middleweight judo champion, told DW on Sunday. Mollaei, who fled his homeland for Germany, has over the weekend become the first athlete from Iran to compete in a tournament in Israel since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.