Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris withdrew from the men’s 73-kilogram division to avoid facing an Israeli opponent.
The Algerian players had made it a habit to refuse to compete in any sports competitions against zionist players, leading judoka Fethi Nourine to face heavy punishment for doing the same at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Israel has been continuing its assault across Gaza which left more than 39,324 Palestinians killed, mostly women and children, and over 90,830 injured, with 10,000 missing since October 7.
To avoid the same punishment, Dris opted for a different approach and augmented his weight to fail the weigh-in for the event, which was scheduled for Monday.
The trick forced the organizing committee to exclude Dris from the competition for exceeding the specified weight just hours before the clash.
The organisers confirmed Dris’ disqualification and awarded the Israeli opponent a walkover to the next round.
Having failed the weigh-in, Dris is expected to escape the sanctions, which saw his compatriot Fethi Nourine face a 10-year ban for his Tokyo 2020 Olympics withdrawal.
However, still, The International Judo Federation revealed they will conduct an investigation on the incident, releasing the following statement:
“Following the Olympic Games, a full review and investigation of the situation will be conducted and further action will be taken if needed,” the IJF said in a statement on Monday.
“We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts,” the judo federation said. “Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport.”
