Israeli badminton player granted visa by Indonesia

An Israeli badminton player has finally been granted a visa by Indonesia to compete in the world championships in Jakarta.

Having been denied entry into the country for the best part of a month, The Olympic Committee of Israel says Misha Zilberman has been cleared to enter Indonesia having been repeatedly denied a visa because he is Israeli.

OCI secretary general Gili Lustig says Zilberman has been waiting in Singapore for two weeks after making an initial visa application six months ago. He was due to fly to the Indonesian capital today, and set to play his first match on Tuesday. On confirming the news, after the Badminton World Federation intervened, Lustig said: “For us it’s a big victory that he will be there, now he’s an ambassador for Israeli sport.”