Egyptian judoka rejects handshake with Israeli opponent
Egyptian judo fighter Islam El Shehaby refused to shake hands with his opponent, Israel's Or Sasson, in a major breach of judo etiquette during the Rio Olympics.
El Shehaby, who had come under pressure from Islamist-leaning and nationalist voices in Egypt to withdraw entirely from the fight, was loudly booed by the crowd for his gesture.
Sasson in an automatic victory defeated the Egyptian with two throws in the first round.
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He extended his hand, but El Shehaby backed away, shaking his head.
It's customary for judo players to bow or shake hands at the beginning and end of a match as a sign of respect in the Japanese martial art.
Even when the referee called El Shehaby back to the mat, he just gave a quick nod of his head.
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The International Judo Federation said that the fact that the fight even took place between those two athletes was a major sign of progress.
"This is already a big improvement that Arabic countries accept to (fight) Israel," spokesman Nicolas Messner said in an email.
He said there was no obligation to shake hands, but that bowing is mandatory.
Messner said that even though El Shehaby ultimately bowed, "his attitude will be reviewed after the games to see if any further action should be taken."
The Associated Press contributed reporting.
Topics Olympics
