The match became a war: Egyptian judoka speaks about Olympic controversy

“The match was no longer merely a matter of sport,” Egyptian judoka Islam al-Shehaby told Al-Nahar TV on Tuesday, in his first public interview since his match against Israeli judoka Or Sasson. “It became a war.”

Shehaby, who is a three-time Olympian, nine-time African Champion and winner of 18 World Cup medals, sparked controversy by refusing to shake hands with Sasson after their Olympic match in Rio de Janeiro on August 12.

While Judo match rules require competitors to bow at the beginning and end of each match, handshaking is not a requisite according to Nicolas Messner, an International Judo Federation spokesperson. Shehaby was “strongly reprimanded” by the International Olympic Committee but did not face tangible consequences. Although the IOC claimed he was to be sent home early, Shehaby left on the same flight as his team mates.

Immediately after the match between Egypt and Israel was announced, Shehaby faced pressure to withdraw and speculation began as to what course of action he would take. “I was under a lot of pressure in the days leading up to the match,” he told Al-Nahar TV. “I was being referred to as a ‘leader of Muslims’ and was expected to defeat Israel and defeat Zionists.”

Many rumors continued to circulate claiming Shehaby would withdraw, despite his adamant refusal to do so. “I could have withdrawn, in which case I would have been called a coward, or I could have played and been called a supporter of normalization of relations with Israel,” Shehaby said. “If I had shaken hands with Sasson I would be labeled a betrayer, and if I didn’t I would be called a terrorist.”

After the match, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Israeli TV program Channel 2 News about the issue. He claimed Shehaby’s actions demonstrated that despite improving relations within the region, “there remains a lot of work to be done in the face of the awful propaganda [in the Arab world] that has been used against us for decades.”

The Olympian also faced criticism in Egypt, with some condemning his decision to compete against an Israeli at all, a move perceived as supporting normalization with Israel. Others criticized his refusal to shake his opponent’s hand, saying it showed a lack of sportsmanship.

“Someone who kills my brother, rapes my sister and prohibits people from praying … and you want me to shake hands with him?” Shehaby said, explaining that his decision was motivated by humanitarian, not political, objections to Sasson’s implicit support of the Israeli Defense Forces.

“I am not a terrorist because I refused to shake someone’s hand,” Shehaby concluded, “I refused to shake hands because I hate terrorism.”