At the Paris Olympics, Tajikistan’s judo competitor Nurali Emomali refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent, Tohar Butbul, choosing instead to shout “Allahu Akbar” while making a religious gesture.
Emomali, who defeated Butbul in their match, walked off the mat without the customary show of sportsmanship. The situation took a dramatic turn later when Emomali faced Japanese judoka Hifumi Abe. During this fight, Emomali suffered a dislocated arm, a painful injury that supporters of Israel are calling “karma” for his earlier act of disrespect.
Michael Dickinson, the executive director of the pro-Israel group StandWithUs, commented on the incident, stating, “Bad sport Nurali Emomali from Tajikistan refused to shake hands with Israeli judo competitor Baruch Shmailov and shouted ‘Allahu Akbar.’ Emomali ended up with a dislocated shoulder crying on the mat. Olympic levels of karma.”
The combination of his disrespectful gesture and subsequent injury has sparked widespread commentary and debate among Olympic spectators and athletes alike.
* The Jewish Chronicle contributed to this article