JERUSALEM, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The three Israeli handball clubs participating in the men's European Cup withdrew from the competition due to the state of war in the country, the Israel Handball Federation said in a statement on Monday.
The teams are the Israeli champion Maccabi Rishon Lezion, Hapoel Ashdod, and H.C. Holon, who were all supposed to play this month in the second round of the European Cup.
The Israeli decision was taken due to the ban by the country's Sports Ministry and the Israeli Security Agency on Israeli sports delegations going abroad, as well as cancellations of flights and team training, the statement noted.
The Israeli federation also intends to request the European Handball Federation (EHF) to postpone Israel's pair of matches against Luxembourg in the men's 2025 World Championship qualifiers, scheduled for early November. ■
