The Egyptian Olympic Committee has condemned Islam El-Shehabi for refusing to shake hands with his Israeli opponent Ori Sassoon in the Rio de Janeiro games, Anadolu reported on Friday.
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Judo players typically bow or shake hands at the beginning and end of a match, as a sign of respect in the Japanese martial art.
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.
The breach in judo eqtiquette and sportsmanship between the two athletes once again highlights the historical contention between Egypt and Israel which, unfortunately, could not be put aside in the spirit of the games.
El Shehaby reportedly didn’t explain himself afterward and it is possible his unsportsmanlike conduct sprung from losing the match.
The incident did not go over well in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanjahu’s spokesman Ofir Gendelman described it as “shocking” in a tweet. At the quarterfinals of the 2011 judo Grand Slam in Moscow, Egyptian Ramadan Darwish refused to shake hands with Israeli Arik Zeevi.
The Egyptian Olympic Committee said in a short statement on its Facebook page: “We told Islam El-Shehaby before the game he should fulfill all the sporting behaviors and rules against his Israeli opponent as this is just a game in a big world tournament”.
Even though El Shehaby ultimately bowed, “his attitude will be reviewed after the games to see if any further action should be taken”, Messner said, adding that the ethics commission of judo’s governing body would review the incident after the Olympics.
El Shahaby had come under pressure from Islamist-leaning and nationalist voices in Egypt to withdraw entirely from the fight.
“My son, watch out”.
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Asked whether the two athletes will shake hands, Hatab said, “the delegation doesn’t allow mixing politics with sports”.
