Algerian judoka Messaoud Redouane Dris did not show up on Monday on the tatami at Campo de Marte to compete in the round of 16 in the -73 kg category at the Paris Games against Israeli Tohar Butbul. Although it was expected, the situation prompted some booing from the spectators in the stands.
Spanish referee Raúl Camacho Pérez awarded a victory by ippon to Butbul due to opponent's elimination. The International Judo Federation officially mentioned a "weigh-in failure." However, Redouane Dris had refused to weigh in the day before, so his participation was ruled out.
He is the third fighter who does not show up against Israeli Butbul. In the past Olympic Games in Tokyo, another Algerian, Fethi Nourine, also did not show up against the Jewish athlete in the 1/32 finals. And Sudanese, Mohamed Abdalrasool, although present at the weigh-in, also did not appear for the subsequent fight.
Nourine faced a 10-year suspension from the International Judo Federation for not showing up for the match. Nourine claimed that his support for the Palestinian cause prevented him from competing against Butbul. The Algerian had also not shown up for another match at the 2019 World Championships against another Hebrew judoka for the same reason.
The IJF issued a statement explaining that using the Olympic Games "as a platform for protest and promotion of political and religious propaganda" violated the ethical code of the Olympic spirit.
Redouane could face the same sanction from the governing body, given that his country does not recognize the State of Israel. However, the alleged issue at the weigh-in could save him from suspension.
The Hebrew Federation responded in a statement: "Tohar's opponent has withdrawn from the competition. The Israeli delegation will continue to compete considering Olympic values. We believe that this type of behavior has no place in the world of sports."
Tohar Butbul is ranked ninth in the world in the -73kg category. He was part of the team that won bronze in Tokyo 2020. He will then face Azerbaijani Hidayat Heydarov in the second round.