Judo body to probe Algerian athlete who failed weigh-in ahead of bout with Israeli
International Judo Federation says sports figures can become ‘victims of broader political disputes’ after Messaoud Redouane Dris was disqualified from match against Tohar Butbul
Judo’s governing body is to investigate why Algeria’s Messaoud Redouane Dris failed the weigh-in for his under 73 kg bout with Israel’s Tohar Butbul at the Paris Olympics, saying athletes can become “victims of broader political disputes.”
The International Judo Federation said Dris arrived for the weight control session on Sunday 10 minutes before the deadline and was found to be 400 grams over the allowed weight limit to compete on Monday.
The head of Israel’s Olympic Committee Yael Arad branded it a “disgrace” and called for the North African delegation to be punished. Algerian media and the delegation sponsor hailed Dris.
“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 the statement on Monday.
“We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts. Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport,” it said.
The Paris 2024 Summer Games are taking place amid pronounced security concerns and heightened geopolitical tensions, including over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, following the October 7 onslaught in southern Israel led by the Palestinian terror group.
The Algerian Olympic delegation declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
However, the Algerian newspaper al Nahar hailed the judoka for “smartly avoiding meeting Israeli opponent by failing to make the weight.”
Algerian athletes’ sponsor telecom giant Mobilis said on Facebook: “Dris won everyone’s respect. Honour and the (Palestinian) cause come first before anything else.”
Arad, a former judoka and the first Israeli to win an Olympic medal, told Reuters: “I think this is a disgrace. I think that you can play with the weigh-in, the category, (say) I wasn’t prepared, but everybody knows this is a political issue. My heart goes out to this athlete.”
Threats against Israelis
There had been an expectation in the run-up that Dris would pull out given that Algeria does not recognize Israel.
However, had he withdrawn from the match outright due to political reasons, the implications could have been far-reaching, and he could have been banned from future competitions by the International Olympic Committee and the IJF.
In 2021, another Algerian, Fethi Nourine withdrew, from the Tokyo Olympics in order to avoid a potential fight against Butbul in the second round. He was then handed a 10-year ban by the IJF.
Sudan’s Mohamed Abdalrasool then did not show up to face Butbul in the Tokyo round of 32 bout, despite weighing in earlier.
“He (Dris) is a victim of the system. I think these guys, the coach, the delegation, have to be punished,” Arad, a 1992 Barcelona Games silver medalist, said.
Amid cheers and some boos, Israel’s Butbul on Monday came on to the tatami at the Champs de Mars Arena dojo bowing, as is the custom, to where his opponent should have been before leaving to prepare for his second-round match later in the morning.
The Israeli government has warned against possible attacks against its delegations and its cyber arm said some of its athletes had been targeted online and sent death threats.
The Paris prosecutor said on Sunday that it had opened an investigation.
In a separate incident, private data on several Israeli athletes were published on Telegram on Friday in an apparent doxxing cyberattack.
The leak included blood tests and login credentials, as well as the athletes’ military status. France’s cybercrime unit said on Sunday that it was pushing to have it removed from social media.
Arad, who believes Israel’s delegation of 88 athletes competing in 15 sports can win 4-5 medals, said it was difficult psychologically for some of the team.
On the one hand, they were at the pinnacle of their careers, but on the other were facing threats such as being told on their phones and social media that they were going to die, she said.
“To threaten athletes is the most cowardly thing. We will prevail,” she said.
While there has been some hostility at some venues with anti-Israel slogans and chants, on the whole, the antagonism has been relatively isolated.
