Egyptians clearly were divided before the match over whether El Shehaby should compete or withdraw, and there was a mixed reaction on social media afterward.
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Egypt’s judo athlete, who caused an uproar by refusing to shake hands with his Israeli opponent after their match, said he respects the sport and did not break any rules by ignoring his rival. But what happened next garnered loud boos from a crowd of Olympic spectators in Rio. El Shehaby claimed that many sources put pressure on him to forfeit the fight and that he chose to compete anyways because he doesn’t mix sport and politics.
He said: ‘My son watch out, don’t be fooled, or fool yourself thinking you will play with the Israeli athlete to defeat him and make Egypt happy.
A spokesman for the International Judo Federation said it was a major step that the fight even took place because of political tensions. One Egyptian television commentator said El Shehaby would be seen as a “traitor” by other Egyptians if he even fought. The fight that ended with Sasson’s ippon would’ve most likely become a lost memory, but the Egyptian competitor’s refusal to shake Sasson’s hand at the end turned the event into the talk of the world.
El Shelby was called back to the mat by the referee, who forced him to bow to Sasson.
Sasson told Army Radio that Israeli athletes are often met with cold responses from Muslim opponents in global competitions so the actions of his Egyptian counterpart did not surprise him.
Sasson, 25, has won 12 gold, five silver, and 11 bronze medals during his nine-year-old athletic journey. Bowing to opponents is a key part of judo competition. In 2004, an Iranian judo champion refused to compete against an Israeli saying he sympathised “with the suffering of the people of Palestine”.
After the match, the Egyptian Olympic Committee issued a statement, criticizing the athlete’s actions.
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“The delegation doesn’t allow mixing politics with sports”.
