Algerian Judo Player Withdraws from Olympics to Not Face Israeli Opponent
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine announced his withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics to avoid a possible match with Israeli Tohar Butbul in the second round.
Nourine was set to face Sudanese judoka Mohamed Abdalrasool for his first bout, and would have taken on Butbul in the next round.
Speaking to an Algerian television station, Nourine said his political support for the Palestinian cause made it impossible for him to compete against an Israeli.
“We worked a lot to reach the Olympics... but the Palestinian cause is bigger than all of this,” he said, adding that his decision was “final”.
It is not the first time that Nourine has withdrawn from competition to avoid facing an Israeli opponent, after he pulled out of the 2019 world championships in Tokyo.
