“Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby was jeered out of the Olympic arena in Rio on Friday after refusing to shake hands with his Israeli opponent.
El Shehaby was beaten by Or Sasson in their heavyweight first round encounter but at the end of the bout, he refused to either bow to the Israeli or shake his hand.
In judo it is customary to both bow to opponents — a sign of respect in Japan — and shake hands after a bout is over.
El Shehaby had been well beaten but stood impassively as Sasson tried to shake his hand.
As he left the mat area, El Shehaby was called back to the centre by the referee to bow.
But he was then loudly jeered out of the arena by angry supporters.
The 32-year-old, a world championship medallist in 2010, had faced pressure on social media and from hardline Islamist groups in his homeland to withdraw from the fight.
Unlike some other Muslim and Arab nations, Egypt has no history of withdrawing from judo bouts against Israelis.
The Egyptian Olympic Committee had insisted before the fight that El Shehaby would compete.”
Well maybe that’s why they refuse to compete against the Israelis
They don’t want their asses handed to them like in 1967
