El Shehaby, who was sent home by his own team, lost the fight on Friday and was reprimanded by the IOC for his actions. After Sasson defeated El Shehaby and the pair retook their places in front of the referee, the Egyptian backed away when Sasson bowed and approached him to shake hands. It noted ... the shaking of hands after a match is not in the competition rules of the International Judo Federation." This is not the first time athletes from Arab nations or Iran refuse to compete with Israeli athletes in Olympics or other international competitions. At the 2004 Athens Olympics then Iranian world champion Arash Mirasmaeili refused to fight Israeli judoka Ehud Vaks, earning praise back home.

Source: Standard Digital August 15, 2016 21:00 UTC