Pakistan refused to play against Israel at the chess olympiad in Samarkand

**Pakistan withdrew from the match against Israel at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand**

In the first round of the 46th World Chess Olympiad taking place in Samarkand, the Pakistani national team refused to play against the representatives of Israel. Since no games were played on any of the four boards, Pakistan was handed a technical defeat, and Israel won with a score of 4:0.

The leadership of the Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) stated that this decision aligns with the official policy of the country's government and was made as an expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people.

"How can we play or have relations with a country that we do not recognize as a state? This is our state policy. We are participating here on behalf of Pakistan and we must follow its guidelines. This decision of ours is not directed against any athlete or sports principles," said the federation's general secretary, Gohar Iqbal, in an interview with ChessBase India.

Additionally, the federation's president, Syed Zeeshan Naqvi, emphasized that this boycott aimed to support the Palestinians.

It is noted that the Pakistani team did not field a single athlete for the match against Israel. Nevertheless, the national team continues its participation in the tournament against other opponents.