US defender Sergino Dest has decided to depart from Ajax’s winter training camp in Qatar amidst the rising tensions in the Middle East.
Due to the escalating hostilities in the region, Dest felt it was best to discontinue his training in Qatar and will instead resume training with the club’s juniors in Amsterdam. Ajax officially announced Dest’s departure, citing his discomfort with the situation in the Middle East as the reason for his decision.
This move by Dest follows a pattern of US athletes carefully monitoring the situation in the Middle East from afar. Recently, the US men’s national soccer team also chose to cancel their planned training camp in Qatar, which is slated to host the 2022 World Cup.
Dest’s request to leave the camp came after Iran’s missile strikes on two military bases in Iraq that housed US troops. These strikes were in retaliation to a US drone attack that resulted in the death of Iranian military leader, Qassem Soleimani.
Despite Dest’s departure, Ajax is proceeding with their training camp, focusing on warm weather training along with a series of upcoming friendly matches.
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