Israeli judo star perseveres after 2 opponents' withdrawals

The Olympics were founded with warring communities putting aside their weapons in order to compete in sport. A country or athlete unable to do this and refusing to compete in sport against their opponent is rightly disqualified regardless of the geopolitics.

 Israel is willing to work with its neighbors,

Funniest thing iv seen all day

Ban these bad sports for LIFE.

You play whatever opponent is in front of you, regardless of color, religion or nationality. End of.

He came here to compete but suddenly he changed his mind. Not a problem. He can go back to where he came from.

Hey! Whatever works. Just leave your politics at home. The Olympics is no place for it.

Anyone has a right to withdraw for whatever reason…

They can withdraw, but they can be punished if the reason is deemed unsportsmanlike, because that brings disrepute to the sport and thus against the rules

irairaToday  04:47 pm JST

The Olympics were founded with warring communities putting aside their weapons in order to compete in sport. A country or athlete unable to do this and refusing to compete in sport against their opponent is rightly disqualified regardless of the geopolitics.

That's true. So why is China allowed to participate when it forced the IOC to reject "Taiwan" but allow "Chinese Taipei"?

While I strongly disagree with athletes putting politics/religion ahead of sport, I must say that Israel became a fascist state under Netanyahu. But if one looks much further back in to history, it is all fault of the British.

Dunno....maybe the IOC sees China as having more disposable income than the Sudan.

OssanAmerica

That's true. So why is China allowed to participate when it forced the IOC to reject "Taiwan" but allow "Chinese Taipei"?

They knew before they came there was a possibility of facing Israeli athletes, if they were not willing to do so they should not have come to the Olympics. They should certainly be banned from international competition and the repeat offender needs to be banned for life.

If withdrawal for political reasons is allowed, why is Myanmar, Russia, China, Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, Japan, or the USA having any matches? There are many countries that dislike all of those for recent actions.

If an individual or/and coach or/and country are doing this for politics only, then the penalties are not harsh. 1 yr ban isn't sufficient. The country's entire program should be penalized, perhaps for 2-5 yrs. Minimal slaps don't work. Blatant political withdrawal is unsportsmanlike.

Should Israelis withdraw whenever they are set to compete against Islamic opponents? Should atheists withdraw against anyone who believes in 1 or more dog?

he International Judo Foundation didn’t immediately announce a reason why Abdalrasool didn’t compete, and the governing body didn’t respond to requests for comment. Sudanese Olympic officials also didn’t immediately comment.

So long as no reason has yet been revealed, I don't want to rush to a conclusion ...Following is just the speculation.

If politics at stake, they had better been trained enough and fight to beat Israeli judokas with ippon, which would be a nice publicity for whatever political on their side. Their boycott may characterize them as chickens.

Or otherwise, quit judo altogether. It's against the sportsmanship as well as the core judo philosophy. Perhaps with their absence someone else would have been qualified to attend the Olympics. A huge opportunity cost.

Anyone has a right to withdraw for whatever reason…

Hold your horses people, this is NOT the first time an Olympian decides to withdraw, for whatever reason it is their privilege and they can exercise it.

In some cultures you are a hero if you win, but cursed forever if you lose.

Refusing to fight might get you kicked out, but such a refusal could make you and your extended family a different kind of hero in your home community.

Total misunderstanding of the spirit of humanity, Judo and the Olympics though, sadly.

The pathetic idiocy of injecting politics into sport.

It is funny how Israel can get away with anything. Occupying Palestinian lands, disrepecting International law and U.N. resolutions, etc.. And if you criticise Israel, you are considered anti- semitic. As long as this country refuses any peace deal with the Palestinians, there will never be peace in that region and beyond.

""explicitly citing his support for Palestinians for his decision.""

I think we all agree that there is NO place for politics in the Olympics, but an Olympian has the right to protest and express his feelings just like any of us.

If this was done to protest the treatment of the Palestinians under Israeli Occupation then may be this was his Idea to protest and show his support .

Seems like an easy fix, with some really nasty implications. For sports like these, individual sports, both athletes must arrive in view of a general audience and compete or withdraw. A formal withdraw can only be recognized live from the physical attendance of the athlete or their chosen surrogate, who must A) be able to compete (no coaches, trainers, or publicists), B) Have not qualified for the tournament but fit the specifications for qualifications. Failure to do this results in the match being determined a no contest and both contestants being removed from the competition.

The goal here is to force a formal forefeit with an athlete having to apologize for the forfeit or both camps being unable to advance. The nasty implication is that weaker athletes will be conscripted into these forefeit roles and political ransoms will take place to extract forfeits.

I wish each one of these idiots is banned for life, they can stay at home and dream of defeating Israel.

When Israel stops its apartheid policies then this issue will magically go away.

There are elected members from the Arab minority in the Israeli parliament, that's a funny way to implement 'apartheid'!!!

As long as this country refuses any peace deal with the Palestinians, 

I suspect that Hamas' agenda of destroying Israel has something to do with it.

This judoka got a helping hand by these two opponents forfeiting. He's advanced to his third fight, without expending any energy or taking any damage.

America used to have a loud voice when accusing others of Human rights abuse...those days are past as America fatally fractures under an onslaught of daily heinous dishonest propaganda coming from a mansion in Australia and favoring the most psychopathic aspects of both uneducated Humanity and conscienceless, murderous Humanity...

From Wikipedia, opening line: "South Africa did not compete at Olympic Games from 1964 to 1988, as a part of the sporting boycott of South Africa during the apartheid era."

Ah, the good old days...who knew?

The pathetic idiocy of injecting politics into sport.

The pathetic idiocy of "sport" having become just another source of fodder for couch potatoes and profit for thieves...

Send this coward home in disgrace to his third world home.

Abdalrasool is the world’s 469th-ranked judoka in his weight class

LOL. There'd be plenty of Japanese High School girl judoka that could beat up this chump!

MarkToday  08:35 pm JST

I think we all agree that there is NO place for politics in the Olympics, but an Olympian has the right to protest and express his feelings just like any of us.

The IOC has rules about 'rights' to protest.

zRichardPearceToday  09:10 pm JST

The IOC continuing to allow the last surviving Apartheid regime to participate in the Olympics will be an even bigger embarrassment than the rampant corruption has been.

Anti-Semitism has no place here.

zurcroniumToday  04:02 pm JST

When Israel stops its apartheid policies then this issue will magically go away.

Really? I know Lebanon and Syria have apartheid laws regarding Palestinian Arabs, but Israel does too? Interested in learning about that.

ma’a as-salaama

and on the first plane out

and it should be for the whole team

Abdalrasool is the world’s 469th-ranked judoka in his weight class, while the accomplished Butbul is seventh.

Sure this had something to do with it as well.

If the rankings had been the other way round, I wonder if he would have still had the courage of his convictions?

Anyway, the Israeli judo contingent must be laughing themselves silly right now.

Anyone has a right to withdraw for whatever reason…

This guy has a history of anti-semitism. It’s hard to know if it is a personally bigoted decision to not compete against Jews or if it is imposed upon him by threats against him in some manner. It is well-known that some Muslims hold the unconscionable belief that Jews are sub-human - that is clearly the reason given his past.

I am pretty sure the reality is that the Israeli has paid their opponent not to show up so that they can fast track to the final. It would make more sense.

This is textbook anti-Semitism.

In April, the IJF suspended Iran for four years because the nation refused to allow its fighters to face Israelis. 

So a country that wants to wipe Israel off the face of the map won't have its test members face Israelis on the mat.

Cowardly Islamic Terrorists conspiring nations showing why they are referred to as terrorists.

PaulToday  07:13 pm JST

While I strongly disagree with athletes putting politics/religion ahead of sport, I must say that Israel became a fascist state under Netanyahu. But if one looks much further back in to history, it is all fault of the British.

Netanyahu would be the first fascist leader voted out of office I guess!

When Israel stops its apartheid policies then this issue will magically go away.

identify as Israeli

join judo tournament

Seems like an easy (boring) way to win.

kurisupisuToday  05:49 pm JST

Anyone has a right to withdraw for whatever reason…

Not in the Olympics.

I am pretty sure the reality is that the Israeli has paid their opponent not to show up so that they can fast track to the final. It would make more sense.

Sayonara.

Sayanara.

This is a good indication on a small scale of how Israel is willing to work with its neighbors, while its neighbors refuse to recognize Israel.

Just as this Sudanese Olympian ended up a loser in this match, so do the countries and peoples who antagonize Israel,