In a meek justification, WBT directors released a statement claiming their original decision was ‘not taken lightly.’
Channel 12 reports that the World Bowls Tour (WBT) has reversed its earlier decision to bar the Israeli national team from the Bowls World Championships in England next month, apologizing to the team in a letter made public by the network.
The controversy began when WBT announced on Monday that Israeli athletes Daniel Alonim, Amnon Amar, and Itai Rigbi would be excluded from the January 2025 World Indoor Championships at Potters Resorts in Hopton-on-Sea, England, citing “political concerns” following pressure from pro-Hamas groups.
The announcement was accompanied by a statement claiming the decision was “not taken lightly” and was made to protect the event’s “success and integrity.”
Bowls, a strategic and prestigious sport in Britain, has evolved from its traditional grass-court roots into professional indoor competitions with significant prize money and televised coverage.
Despite this, the WBT’s ban was driven by a campaign from the anti-Israel NGO Action Network, which labeled Israeli competitors as representatives of an “apartheid and genocidal state.”
This decision followed disruptions at last month’s Scottish International Open in West Lothian, where an organized boycott coincided with Israel’s defensive response to Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.
The WBT justified their stance by emphasizing their commitment to maintaining the unity and smooth operation of the championships, though Jewish advocacy groups condemned the move as discriminatory and contradictory to the sport’s unifying principles.
The UK’s Jewish Board of Deputies called the ban “deeply ironic and paradoxical,” urging WBT to reverse its stance.
Although WBT has now apologized and reinstated the Israeli team, the episode highlights the cost of institutional bias, as the three athletes briefly became the targets of political discrimination over their nationality.