A second judoka withdrew from Olympic judo competition, seemingly to avoid facing Israeli Tohar Butbul, a few days after his rival in the previous round. Suspended to do the same.
Butbul was listed as “no competitor” in the men’s 73 kg category to compete with Mohamed Abdalrsul of Sudan.
Olympic officials say Abdalrsul did not show up to face Butbul in his round, despite having weighed in for the first bout.
The International Judo Federation did not immediately announce a reason why Abdalrsul did not compete, and the governing body did not respond to requests for comment.
Sudanese Olympic officials also did not immediately comment.
In January, Sudan signed the Abrahamic Agreement with the United States, paving the way for the African country to normalize ties with Israel, but a report earlier this month said that Sudan disappointed With the result of the generalization agreement.
Israel’s Tohar Butbul prepares to compete in the Judo Men’s K-73kg Elimination Round Bout during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 26, 2021 in Nippon Budokan, Tokyo. (JACK GUEZ/AFP)
Abdalrsul is the world’s 469th-ranked judoka in his weight category, while the accomplished Butbul is seventh.
Butbul later defeated Viktor Steparu of the Republic of Moldova in an elimination bout, but then lost to Changrim An of South Korea in the quarterfinals.
He was to compete later on Monday in repechage for the right to win the bronze medal.
An Changrim (white) of South Korea and Tohar Butbul of Israel compete in the judo men’s -73kg quarterfinal bout during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on July 26, 2021 in Nippon Budokan, Tokyo. (Photo by Frank Fife/AFP)
Last week, Abdallarsoul faced Algeria’s Fethi Noorin. The winner of the clash was to face Butbul, but Noorin pulled out of the competition before his match to avoid the prospect of meeting Israel on the mat.
Noorin and his coach Amar Benikhlef withdrew their Olympic recognition on Saturday and were sent home.
The Executive Committee of the International Judo Federation (IJF) announced that they have temporarily suspended Noorin and Benikhlef. In response, the Algerian Olympic Committee withdrew its recognition, and further sanctions are expected.
The IJF said Noreen’s stance was “in total opposition to the philosophy of the International Judo Federation”.
“The IJF has a strict non-discrimination policy, which promotes solidarity as a core principle, reinforced by the values of Judo,” it added.
“Judo sport is based on a strong ethical code to promote solidarity including respect and friendship and we will not tolerate any discrimination, as it goes against the core values and principles of our sport.”
Algerian judoka Fethi Naureen. (screenshot)
Speaking to an Algerian television station late Thursday, Noorin said his political support for the Palestinian cause made it impossible for him to compete against an Israeli.
“We worked a lot to get to the Olympics … but the Palestinian cause is bigger than all of this,” he said, adding that his decision was “final”.
This is not the first time that Noorin has pulled out to avoid facing an Israeli rival, after making a similar move at the 2019 World Championships in Tokyo.
At the 2016 Games, the Egyptian judoka Islam Al Shahabi left the game just hours later. refusing to shake hands In the first round of the men’s over 100 kg competition at the Rio Olympics, his victorious Israeli rival Ya Sasson K.
Islam El Shehabi (blue) of Egypt refuses to shake hands after being defeated by Israel or Sasson in his men’s over 100 kg judo competition at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 12, 2016.
Iranian judoka have also come under fire for refusing to compete against their Israeli counterparts.
In April, International Judo Federation Four-year ban issued against Iranian Judo Federation Tehran demands that its athletes refuse to face Israeli opponents.
The ban began in September 2019, when judoka Saeed Mollai left the Iranian team during the World Championships in Tokyo, revealing that he was ordered to withdraw from competitions to avoid losing matches and facing the Israelis. Was.
Another Israeli judo medal hope, Timna Nelson-Levy, made it to the quarterfinals of the women’s 57kg event on Monday, but lost to Tsukasa Yoshida, one of the favorites in the competition. He also had to compete for a bronze medal in repechage.