Iran has paid judo champion Arash Miresmaeli the same $125,000 in prize money it awarded its gold-medal winners at the Athens Olympics, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency in Tehran.
Miresmaeli, you might recall, said he would not compete against an athlete from Israel and then conveniently missed the weight at the weigh-in before the match so he could avoid sanctions for refusing to compete.
Although Miresmaeli "did not get a gold medal, he earned eternal honor by his refusal," Mahmood Ahmadi Nejad, Tehran's conservative mayor, said, according to the news agency.
Miresmaeli had reportedly said he would not compete against Ehud Vaks of Israel as a gesture of sympathy with the Palestinian people. Iran does not recognize Israel and bans any contact with the Jewish state.
Arash Miresmaeli's $125,000 reward was the same the government gave to weightlifter Hossein Rezazadeh and taekwondo champion Hadi Saei Bonehkohal, who both won in Athens.
[Todays Threads] [This Message] [Subscription] [Fast Unsubscribe] [User Settings] [Donations and Support]
