Announcement comes following ban on Israeli athletes by Malaysia. 

Countries that ban Israel in their sports competitions will no longer be permitted to host, the International Olympic Committee announced this week, Israeli media reported.

“We urge all to be extremely vigilant when allocating and organizing international sports competitions,” IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell and Director of Olympic Solidarity James Macleod wrote in a letter.

The announcement comes following the cancellation of the World Team Squash Championship in Malaysia due to a ban on Israeli athletes. The men’s championship was set to be held in Malaysia this month but was cancelled after Kuala Lumpur refused Israeli athletes to compete.

The letter lists this and a ban by Serbia on Kosovo’s boxing team in the AIBA World Boxing Championship as examples.

The IOC said it plans to work with Malaysia and Serbia to come with a solution. Should one not be found, this would exclude them from “the right to host international sports events until all the necessary assurances can be obtained and respected.”