Israeli judoka Sagi Muki wins gold at European Championships

Israeli judoka Sagi Muki won a gold medal Friday in the under-81 kg class at the 2018 European Championships, held this year in Tel Aviv.

Muki had previously won the gold in the 2015 championships and was considered a favorite for a medal at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio. However, just ahead of those games he suffered two slipped discs in his back. Despite the injury, he managed to compete and reach the semifinals.

The judoka, who defeated Belgium’s Sami Chouchi in the final, thanked the hundreds of Israelis who came to support him during the match.

“The audience gave me strength. We have a small but strong country,” he said.

(L to R) Belgian’s silver medallist Sami Chouchi, Israel’s gold medallist Sagi Muki, Russia’s bronze medallist Aslan Lappinagov and Italia’s bronze medallist Antonio Esposito pose on the podium following the men’s under 81 kg weight category competition during the European Judo Championship in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv on April 27, 2018. (AFP PHOTO / JACK GUEZ)

“It’s a dream come true to win in Israel. Since finishing Rio I’ve dreamed of this moment, with the entire rehabilitation process I’ve undergone,” Muki said.

Muki’s coach Oren Smadja sent his condolences to the victims of Thursday’s flash flood in the Judean desert, an incident that shocked the country.

“This is a sad day accompanied by great joy,” he said. Muki “went through a tough time, we supported him during this period. He’s an elite sportsman.”

An emotional Muki later sang the Israeli national anthem as the audience joined in.

Israel’s last major win at an international tournament, in October of last year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, was mired by controversy, when the host country refused to play the Israeli anthem. Tournament organizers played the anthem of the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) instead.

(L-R) Russia’s Mikhail Puliaev, Japan’s Hifumi Abe, Georgia’s Vazha Margvelashvili and Israel’s Tal Flicker celebrate on the podium during the medal ceremony at the World Judo Championships in Budapest on August 29, 2017. (AFP Photo/Attila Kisbenedek)

Israeli judoka Tal Flicker, who won a gold medal at the competition in the under-66 kilogram class, said he defied the state’s boycott on displaying Israeli symbols and playing the anthem by shutting out the “background noise” and singing “Hatikvah” himself at the medal ceremony.

The ban on Israeli symbols came despite the IJF’s demand before the tournament that the UAE treat Israeli athletes equally.

Israeli gold-medalist judoka Tal Flicker singing the Israeli national anthem despite local officials’ refusal to play it at the Judo Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi, where local judo authorities banned all Israeli symbols, October 26, 2017. (YouTube screen capture)