Egyptian judoka Islam El Shehaby stirred controversy when he refused to shake the hand of Israeli judoka Or Sasson after their contest last week. Now, it has been announced that his own team sent him home.
He lost the fight against Sasson on Friday. After the two judokas were brought in front of the referee, Sasson offered his hand for Shehaby to shake but Shehaby turned away rather than extending his own. The International Olympic Committee reprimanded Shehaby for his display of disrespect.
"The President of the National Olympic Committee issued a statement saying they respected all athletes and all nations at the Olympic Games," the IOC said.
The IOC believes that Shehaby’s actions go against the rules of fair play that have long been established for the Olympics.
"The Disciplinary Commission (DC) considered that his behavior at the end of the competition was contrary to the rules of fair play and against the spirit of friendship embodied in the Olympic Values," the IOC said.
"The DC issued a ‘severe reprimand for inappropriate behavior’ to the athlete. It noted … the shaking of hands after a match is not in the competition rules of the International Judo Federation."
El Shehaby claimed that he had been heavily pressured by fans to no-show for the match with Or Sasson. There have been instances in the past of Arab Nation or Iranian athletes refusing to compete with Israeli athletics.
Or Sasson went on to win the bronze medal in the +100kg category.
Full Story via Reuters