The championship Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team has gotten its visas to play the champion CSKA Red Army team in Moscow on Thursday.
But they are going there without the moral support of Israeli fans.
The Soviet authorities issued 25 visas to the Israeli players, their coaches and staff. But, reversing an earlier promise, they rejected the applications of 180 Israelis who wanted to travel to Moscow with the team.
The Soviets had originally offered visas and package tours. But apparently they had second thoughts about a large crowd of Israelis cheering in Hebrew and waving flags under the eyes of television cameras.
They also refused visas to Israeli newspaper correspondents. But three Israel Radio and Israel Television newscasters have been granted entry. They will have the services of Russian technicians for a live broadcast to Israel.
Thursday’s match will be the first ever played by an Israeli basketball team in Moscow. The CSKA team is scheduled to come to Israel for a return match in Tel Aviv in March.
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