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Source: http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=28093&d=28&m=6&y=2003
Arab Ping Pong Player New Celebrity for Refusing to Play Israeli
(Arab News - Saudi Arabia) - Saleh Fareed Getting banned from international table tennis competitions for the rest of the year after refusing to play against an Israeli has made Nabeel Al-Magahwi a sporting hero in Saudi Arabia. At the table tennis World Championship in Paris in May, Al-Magahwi from Saudi Arabia and Hani Al-Hammadi from Yemen refused to play their scheduled men's singles qualifiers against Gay Elensky from Israel, and were banned from the rest of the competition. "When it came to playing an Israeli, I told the head of our delegation that I wouldn't do it, and they agreed with me," Al-Magahwi said. "In addition to the great support I received from government officials, residents and expatriates, I have received a special certificate from the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat that I'm very proud of," Al-Magahwi said. "I feel like a winner after the reaction I received from everybody."