Israeli officials at the Cadet World Cup in Austria have ruled out foul play after Dana Sterlinkov’s podium celebrations were cut short when the Hatkiva was not played.

Sterlinkov, 14, was forced to sing the anthem herself, along with her teammates, managers and fans.

The team’s coach, Yaakov Ferdman, said the man responsible for playing the anthems could not find the recording. “The organisers were very nice to us, and I got the impression it was a technical malfunction,” he said.

Yossi Harari, chairman of the Fencing Association, feels that the episode was unacceptable. “From now on all Israeli teams will leave Israel equipped with the national anthem and a flag.”