Olympic drama: Algerian athlete withdraws to avoid facing Israeli judoka

Tohar Butbul has smoothly advanced to the round of 16 in the under 73 kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympics following the self-disqualification of his scheduled opponent, Algerian judoka Messaoud Dris.

Dris’s decision came during the weigh-in, leading to Butbul's automatic progression. In the next round, Butbul is set to face Azerbaijan's Hidayat Heydarov, who holds the title of reigning world champion and is currently ranked as the world number one.

The Israeli delegation has addressed the situation by reaffirming their dedication to focusing on the competitive aspect of the Games, despite the underlying political overtones.

This situation mirrors the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine withdrew from his match to avoid facing Butbul, which led to a harsh 10-year suspension for Nourine's coach.

The practice of boycotting Israeli athletes remains a significant challenge in international sports, influenced by geopolitical conflicts and longstanding hostilities, such as the 1974 exclusion of the Israeli Football Association from the Asian Football Confederation due to pressure from Arab nations. Iran's record of withdrawing from matches against Israelis further underscores this issue.

* Ynet contributed to this report.