I was fortunate to have represented my country in the sport of judo. Judo is a combat sport, where you need to physically battle against an opponent in order to win. It is not subjective. It is a confrontation of strategy, and physical and mental combat. The objective in a judo match is to throw an opponent onto their back with a combination of speed and force. You can also win by immobilizing them or by forcing a submission through an armlock or choke.
Those who compete in the sport of judo at the highest level are fighters. I never won an Olympic medal, but I was proud that I never lost a match by way of submission. When I trained in Japan, my coach, the former Olympic champion Isao Okano, told me not to waste my time tapping out and submitting if I was caught in a choke or an armlock. Instead, use that time to find a way to escape. Giving up was never an option.
I am disgusted when I see judo athletes forfeiting matches on purpose, to avoid facing Israeli judokas. They are blatantly turning their back on the values of the Olympics and the sport of judo.
When I was 16, competing in my first senior competition, I drew the reigning Olympic champion from Cuba in my first-round match. I was completely overmatched and as a result, our fight did not last long. I appreciated his talent, technique, and skill. We both shared a love for the sport of judo. His religious beliefs and opinions regarding communism were of no concern to me. My goal was to defeat a fellow athlete. We train to win.
As a sport, judo emphasizes doing what is right. Show respect to all and accept the fact that we are all different. Recently at the Paris Olympics, Algerian fighter Messaoud Redouane Dris failed to make weight when facing his Israeli opponent Tohar Butbul. This was not an accident. Judo is a discipline. Judokas are regimented to make weight. This was a Muslim athlete refusing to compete against a Jewish athlete. The Olympics are about bringing people together despite their differences and political ideologies.
I do not know if this was Dris’s idea or a result of pressure put on him by his coaches or athletic federation. To train and dedicate yourself to win a medal and then back out, without a whimper, seems curious.
While Dris’s character may come into question, his Israeli opponent Butbul is beyond reproach. Butbul demonstrated true Olympic spirit by saying he respected Dris and hoped for a day when they could train together in Algeria and Israel. Perhaps one day, we could shake hands. Respect is an Olympic core value.
Ironically, withdrawing from competition does nothing except hurt the athlete who is withdrawing. You are done. You have no chance to win a medal. All your training was in vain. You actually help your opponent. They move on to the next round without having to deal with any physical stress or trauma. In a sport as physical as judo, that is a gift.
Incurring injuries while competing is not uncommon. I have competed with a broken wrist, fractured arm, broken nose, fingers, and toes. To be given a victory without having to fight is truly a bonus. If you really wanted to hurt someone, you would defeat them and end their chance to win a gold medal instead of jeopardizing your own chance.
Unfortunately, such despicable behavior has been going on for years in the sport of judo. Iranian judoka Hamed Malekmohammdi refused to face Israel’s Yoel Razvozov at the 2001 World Championships. In 2004, at the Athens Olympics, Iranian judoka Arash Miresmaeili was a favorite to win the gold in the lightweight division. That ended when he drew Ehud Vaks in the first round. He was – surprise, surprise – disqualified for not making weight.
Of course, his actions were completely intentional as he sought disqualification rather than competing against an Israeli. Once back in Iran, he admitted to being in great shape but simply did not want to face Vaks because he represented Israel.
Although the international judo community saw this behavior as offensive and disrespectful, Miresmaeili was considered a hero in Iran. The speaker of Iran’s parliament stated that Miresmaeili’s decision was very brave. Therein lies the problem. The sport of judo and the Olympics have a clear value system. If these are not your values, then why dedicate yourself to competing on the world stage?
A history of disregarding Israeli judokas
In 2011, another Iranian athlete made headlines for forfeiting a match against a German opponent at the Judo World Cup. He did so to avoid a possible match in the next round against Israeli judoka Or Sasson. The next year, at the 2012 Olympics, the same athlete again withdrew when he was informed he might have to face an Israeli opponent.
In another controversy involving Sasson, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby refused to shake hands after being defeated by Sasson. El Shehaby then immediately retired from the sport. Also in Rio, a Saudi Arabian judoka, upon learning she was to face Israeli athlete Gili Cohen, withdrew from her second-round match, claiming to be injured.
At the 2020 Summer Olympics, the Algerian judo team again displayed their disdain for adhering to the principles of respect. Fethi Nourine withdrew and forfeited his match as soon as he realized he could be facing Israel’s Butbul in the second round of competition. Mohamed Abdalrasool from Sudan also failed to show up for his match against Butbul.
Now that this has become a reoccurring issue, the International Judo Federation has finally decided to take action. Both Nourine and his coach, Amar Benikhlef, were suspended from competition for 10 years. With that precedent established, hopefully Dris and his coach face the same punishment. In Algeria, Dris was commended for his act of defiance.
The Israeli athletes who have been slighted have demonstrated character, and in many cases, compassion for their opponents despite their behavior. “I think the Algerian athletes, and all the Muslim athletes, cannot go to the fight with Israeli athletes,” said Butbul. “I think they are victims in this thing. They won’t let them compete, even though they are athletes.”
Israeli athletes cannot control what others do. They can only control how they themselves react and behave in the face of such immoral behavior. They have displayed integrity and have stayed true to the words in the Olympic oath: “In the name of all competitors, I promise that we will take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.”
Maybe, in the future, those nations that demonstrate no interest in keeping their word and honoring the Olympic oath should be banned from participating in the Olympics altogether.
The writer is a former Canadian judoka. He is a three-time Am-Can Open champion, as well as a two-time Canadian Open medalist.