Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby (left in picture) was loudly booed after his first-round loss to Israel’s fifth-ranked Or Sasson, when he refused to bow or shake Sasson’s hand, in a major breach of judo etiquette.
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Some commentators in Egypt have even suggested that el-Shehaby had lost on goal to the Israeli as a silent protest against Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi who forced him to compete in the games.
El Shehaby was jeered by fans when he gave Sasson a quick nod instead of the traditional post-match bow and then backed away when Sasson extended his hand, leaving the Israeli standing alone with his arm out.
After the fight, El Shehaby announced that he is retiring from professional judo and, in an interview with an Egyptian website, he tried to explain his behavior.
The Daily Mail claim that El Shehaby had come under pressure prior to the fight from “Islamist-leaning and nationalist voices” in Egypt to withdraw from the games.
Cuba’s Alex Garcia Mendoza (white) competes with Israel’s Or Sasson during their men’s +100kg judo contest bronze medal B match of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on August 12, 2016.
El Shehaby refused to comment.
The International Olympic Committee said it was looking into the incident. “We believe that the Olympic movement needs to build bridges and not build walls, so I will look into the matter”. His refusal to shake hands was, it insisted, a “personal” act.
“My son, watch out”. “In the heat of the moment, sometimes things happen that are unacceptable and we remind all of the competitors of the Olympic values”, he said. “Don’t be fooled, or fool yourself, thinking you will play with the Israeli athlete to defeat him and make Egypt happy”, he said.
There have been other incidents involving Muslim athletes refusing to compete against or be around Israeli athletes in Rio. Many blamed him for embarrassing the country, although some felt sympathy for El Shehaby, saying he was put under a lot of pressure.
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Israel is seen as an enemy nation in many Arab countries. “We have lost in terms of sports and politics”, Nassar said.
