Wrestling inquiry: Did Iranian lose match to avoid Israeli?

Published Dec. 1, 2017 1:19 p.m. ET

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (AP) Wrestling's governing body is investigating whether an Iranian threw a match to avoid facing an Israeli.

United World Wrestling announced Friday that it is looking into irregularities surrounding a first-round match between Ali Reza Karimi of Iran and Alikhan Zhabrailov of Russia at the recent U-23 World Championships in Poland.

The international federation says several news outlets reported that Karimi was directed by his coaches Saturday to intentionally lose because Israel's Uri Kalashnikov would have been Karimi's second-round opponent.

UWW says its legal and ethics committees will review the matter in the coming weeks and make recommendations to the organization's administrating body.