ALWAGHT- Algerian judoka Messaoud Dris disqualified himself during the weigh-in on Monday, choosing not to face Israeli judoka Tohar Butbul in the round of 16 at the Paris 2024 Olympics (under 73 kg).
As a result, Butbul will now compete against Azerbaijan's Hidayat Heydarov, the reigning world champion and current world number one, in the next round.
This incident is part of a pattern, as Algerian athletes have previously refused to compete against Israeli opponents at the Olympics. For example, Fethi Nourine withdrew from the Tokyo Games three years ago to avoid facing Butbul.
Following Nourine's withdrawal, his coach, Amar Benikhlef, received a harsh penalty and was suspended for 10 years.
Additionally, on Sunday, Tajikistan's Nurali Emomali refused to shake hands with Israel's Baruch Shmailov after their match, walking off the mat without acknowledging his opponent.
Protests against Israel's participation in the Paris Games have been ongoing since the start of Israel's intense offensive in Gaza last year.
As the 2024 Paris Olympics progress, there have been increasing calls to boycott Israel in response to its devastating conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in nearly 40,000 Palestinian deaths since October 7.
