KUALA LUMPUR – Did Algeria’s judo exponent Messaoud Redouane Dris purposely disqualify himself in order to avoid meeting his Israeli opponent Tohar Butbul in the 73kg category today?
Dris was disqualified during the official weight control due to being overweight by 400g.
In a statement today, the International Judo Federation (IJF) said that this kind of incident can occur at any competition; during the Tokyo Olympic Games, there were four athletes who did not pass the weight control.
“During the Paris Olympic Games official weight control, Mr Dris arrived for the weight control session 10 minutes before the deadline and was found to be 400g over the allowed weight limit to compete,” the statement read.
Due to Dris’ disqualification, Butbul will now progress to the next round.
According to reports, the Israeli Olympic Committee has alleged that there was an intentional effort by the Algerian fighter to “remove himself from the competition”, strongly condemning the Algerian judoka.
However, according to the IJF, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes, which are against the values of sport.
“We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts.
“The IJF firmly upholds the principles of fair play, the Olympic spirit and non-discrimination,” it said in a statement.
Following the Olympic Games, a full review and investigation of the situation will be conducted, and further action will be taken if needed. – July 29, 2024