Malaysia stripped of champs

Paralympics: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has stripped Malaysia of the right to host the 2019 world para swimming championships after the country banned Israeli athletes from participating.

The championships, a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, had been scheduled for Kuching between July 29 and August 4. A new venue would be sought for the same dates.

‘‘All World Championships must be open to all eligible athletes and nations to compete safely and free from discrimination,’’ IPC president Andrew Parsons said in a statement after a meeting of the IPC governing board in London.

‘‘When a host country excludes athletes from a particular nation, for political reasons, then we have absolutely no alternative but to look for a new championships host.’’

Malaysia is a majorityMuslim country that does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel. — Reuters