KUWAIT: Palestinian Ambassador to Kuwait Rami Tahboub released a statement in which he expressed gratitude towards 13-year-old Kuwaiti tennis player Mohammed Al-Awadhi for his decision to withdraw from the Ten-Pro Global Junior Tour after he was drawn to face a player from the Zionist entity.

On behalf of the Palestinian leadership and Palestinian people we salute Kuwait's champion, Mohammed Al-Awadhi for sacrificing a title he dreamed of, and which could have opened new horizons for him towards international stardom in tennis, staying committed to the ideals he was brought up on, knowing that Palestine is occupied and the Palestinian people are oppressed," Ambassador Tahboub wrote.

"Kuwait's Al-Awadhi sent a clear message that Kuwait, its leadership and its people love Palestine, its sacred places and Arab affiliation, and will remain opposed to normalization with the occupier as long as the daily oppression of the Palestinian people continues and as long as Mohammed's Palestinian peers remain under the daily harassment by this occupier," the envoy noted.

"We, in the state of Palestine, stand in respect and appreciation of this young leader, and see through him that hope still exists as long as there are Arab generations growing up and believing in the just Palestinian cause," he added. "May Allah protect Mohammed, and protect Kuwait, its leadership and its people under the leadership of HH the Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah," he concluded.