A Tajik judo competitor suffered instant “karma” after refusing to shake hands with his Israeli opponent at Sunday’s Olympics.
Israel’s presence at the Paris Games has been the subject of protests at various times since the start of the Israeli offensive in Gaza last year.
However, Olympic officials and the French government have strongly backed Israel’s right to participate this summer.
However, Israeli athletes have been the target of protests in the opening days of the Games and one judoka’s opponent refused to shake his hand on Sunday.
Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali faced Israeli Baruch Shmailov, and after beating him, he walked straight off the mat without shaking his opponent’s hand.
Tajikistan’s Nurali Emomali (top) defeated Israel’s Baruch Shmailov at Sunday’s Olympics
But Emomali refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent before leaving the mat in Paris.
In judo, it is customary to shake hands with one’s opponent. Emomali is also said to have been heard shouting “Allah Akbar.”
Earlier in the day, Moroccan Abderrahmane Boushita also refused to shake Shmailov’s hand.
But Emomali suffered instant karma for ignoring Shmailov in the next round, when he faced Japan’s Hifumi Abe.
While fighting for superiority, Emomali seriously injured his left arm while trying to break his fall.
He was left crying on the mat after suffering what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder.
Viewers immediately took to social media to point out the instant “karma” that had befallen Emomali.
But Emomali was subjected to instant karma for ignoring Shmailov against Japan’s Hifumi Abe.
Emomali suffered a suspected dislocated shoulder when he tried to stop his fall.
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Earlier on Sunday, French police opened an investigation into death threats received by three Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games.
Cybercrime officers are also investigating the posting of athletes’ personal data on social media on Friday and are seeking to have it removed, prosecutors said in a statement.
In a statement on Thursday, Israel’s National Cyber Directorate said that after an investigation it had concluded that Iranian hackers were creating social media channels to post personal information about members of the Israeli delegation and send them threatening messages.
That same day, Israel’s foreign minister warned his French counterpart of a possible Iranian-backed plot to attack Israeli athletes and tourists during the Paris Olympics.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said in a statement on Thursday: “Terrorist acts have no place in the principles of resistance groups; lies and deceit cannot change the roles of the plaintiff and the accused.”
Israeli athletes taking part in the Games are being escorted to and from events by elite tactical units and are being provided with round-the-clock protection during the Olympics, officials said. Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, is assisting with security.
