After an early round judo match in the Rio Olympics between Islam El Shehaby of Egypt and Israel’s Or Sasson, El Shehaby found himself in the news for backing away and not shaking the hand of his opponent, as is customary in the sport. You can see video of the moment here and hear him being booed by the crowd. As a result, El Shehaby is no longer at the Olympics.
The incident was reviewed and the International Olympic Committee ruled El Shehaby’s actions were, as relayed by The Jerusalem Post, “contrary to the rules of fair play and against the spirit of friendship embodied in the Olympic values.” El Shehaby was later sent home by the Egyptian Olympic Committee.
After the match, El Shehaby, who is Muslim, declared he is not obligated to shake his opponents hand and does not have any problems with those who have different beliefs.
“Shaking the hand of your opponent is not an obligation written in the judo rules. It happens between friends and he’s not my friend,” El Shehaby said via The Post.
“I have no problem with Jewish people or any other religion or different beliefs,” El Shehaby continued. “But for personal reasons, you can’t ask me to shake the hand of anyone from this State, especially in front of the whole world.”
Sasson went on to capture the bronze medal in the men’s over 100kg division. El Shehaby has reportedly decided to retire from the sport.
Photo via: NBC Sports
