Olympian accused of deliberately getting disqualified to avoid Israeli opponent

An Algerian judo star has been accused of deliberating failing his weigh-in to avoid competing against an Israeli fighter at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Messaoud Redouane Dris of Algeria had been scheduled to face Tohar Butbul of Israel in the 73kg category on Monday.

Dris however hit the scales over that weight limit and was immediately disqualified.

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Butbul will progress into the next round but the Israeli Olympic Committee have alleged there was an intention effort from Dris to ‘remove himself from the competition’, strongly condemning the Algerian judoka.

‘Tohar’s competitor has removed himself from the competition,’ the Israeli body said in a statement.

‘The Israeli delegation will continue to compete with the Olympic values in mind, we believe this kind of behaviour has no place in the world of sport.’

A statement from the International Judo Federation [IJF] said ‘athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport,’ vowing to hold a full investigation once the Paris Games conclude.

‘On 28th July 2024 Messaoud Redouane Dris from Algeria was disqualified during the official weight control due to being overweight by 400 grams,’ the statement read.

‘This kind of incident can occur at any competition, during the Tokyo Olympic Games there were 4 athletes who did not pass the Weight Control.

‘During the Paris Olympic Games official weight control, Mr Dris arrived for the weight control session ten minutes before the deadline and was found to be 400 grams over the allowed weight limit to compete.

‘The IJF firmly upholds the principles of fair play, the Olympic spirit and non-discrimination. We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts. Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport.

‘In accordance with the Sport Organisation Rules of the IJF, any athlete who fails to make weight during the official weight control is disqualified from the competition. We cannot provide justification for the overweight status of Mr Dris but we remain committed to ensuring that all athletes compete under equal and fair conditions.

‘Following the Olympic Games, a full review and investigation of the situation will be conducted and further action will be taken if needed.’

Algerian athletes do have a history of refusing to fight Israeli opponents. Fethi Nourine withdrew from his bout, also against Butbul in the Tokyo Games in 2021 and was subsequently handed a 10-year ban.

Nourine noted at the time his political support of Palestine made it impossible for him to compete.