In a surprising turn of events at the Paris Games, Algerian judoka Redouane Messaoud Dries withdrew from the men’s judo competition in the under 73 kilograms category on Sunday, just one day before he was scheduled to face Israeli competitor Tohar Butbul.
The Israeli Olympic Committee confirmed the withdrawal, stating that “Tohar’s opponent pulled out of the competition.”
The Committee added, “The Israeli delegation will continue to compete while upholding Olympic values. We believe that such behaviour has no place in the world of sports.”
This incident mirrors a similar situation from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine withdrew to avoid a potential second-round match against Butbul.
Following his withdrawal, Nourine faced a 10-year suspension from the International Judo Federation.
Additionally, Sudanese judoka Mohamed Abdalrasool did not show up for his match against Butbul in the round of 32, despite having competed in the weight category earlier.
This series of withdrawals has sparked discussions on the intersection of politics and sports, particularly in international competitions like the Olympics.
Tunisian fencer Fares Ferjani clinches the first Arab medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics by securing a silver in the épée event on Saturday, after a defeat to South Korea’s Sanguk Oh with a score of 11-15 in the final match.
This marks the first Olympic medal for 27-year-old Ferjani and the third for Arab fencers, following Egyptian Alaaeldin Abouelkassem’s silver in foil at London 2012 and Tunisian Ines Boubakri’s in foil at Rio 2016.
Hailing from a family deeply rooted in fencing, Ferjani’s brother, Mohamed Ayoub, competed in the foil category at Rio 2016, while another brother, Ahmed, has participated in the épée category at several World Cups.
