Pakistan boycotted its scheduled match against Israel in the first round of the Samarkand Chess Olympiad 2026 in Uzbekistan.
The Pakistan and Israel teams were scheduled to face each other in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday.
Pakistan Chess Federation President Zeeshan Ali Naqvi said Pakistan had a clear policy regarding Israel and could not play against the Israeli team in violation of the government’s policy.
Naqvi said Pakistan skipped the match to express solidarity with the Palestinian people.
The Samarkand Chess Olympiad, being held in Uzbekistan, features teams from 203 countries from around the world.
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