BELGRADE, Serbia – The European Handball Federation says a women's under-20 World Championship qualification tournament in Serbia has been canceled after the Balkan country cited security concerns to ban matches involving Kosovo.
EHF has excluded Serbia from the tournament after authorities banned Friday's Serbia-Kosovo game, saying they feared clashes with nationalist fans opposed to Kosovo's independence.
Serbia does not recognize the 2008 declaration of independence by the former province populated mostly by ethnic Albanians.
EHF says Serbia also has not permitted matches between Kosovo and Norway on Saturday, and Kosovo versus Slovakia on Sunday. It said Saturday that the decision to cancel the tournament was "a result of interventions by government authorities in Serbia."
Dozens of far-right fans have protested Kosovo's participation in the tournament.
Fox News' "Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world.