Egypt's judoka Islam El Shehaby has gone home from the Rio 2016 Olympics, following his refusal to shake hands with an Israeli opponent after losing a bout. Initially, media reported that Shehaby had been sent home for the snub, however this has now been denied by Egypt's Judo Federation.
"All the judo players and some other members of the delegation returned home on Sunday as part of their scheduled flight," Wahid Farid, Executive Director of the Judo Federation said, according to Ahram Online .
Farid went on to say that no sanctions have been made against Shehaby by any Egyptian or international organization that he is aware of. "Handshake isn't a must in Judo. Judokas are only obligated to bow and he did that," he said.
Following his loss on Friday, Shehaby responded to criticism, explaining why he refused to shake his opponent's hand.
"Shaking the hand of your opponent is not an obligation written in the judo rules. It happens between friends and he's not my friend," Shehaby said, according to Reuters .
"I have no problem with Jewish people or any other religion or different beliefs. But for personal reasons, you can't ask me to shake the hand of anyone from this state [Israel], especially in front of the whole world."
However, even though shaking hands is not in the International Judo Federation's rules, the International Olympic Committee decided to take a stern stance against Shehaby's actions.
"The [Disciplinary Committee] issued a 'severe reprimand for inappropriate behavior' to the athlete. It noted... the shaking of hands after a match is not in the competition rules of the International Judo Federation," the IOC said in a statement on Monday.
"As well as a severe reprimand, the DC has asked the Egyptian Olympic Committee to ensure in future that all their athletes receive proper education on the Olympic Values before coming to the Olympic Games."
Although Shehaby initially walked away from his opponent, noticeably upset after losing the bout, he returned and bowed curtly, a point of etiquette and respect within judo.
"Of the many rituals that are a part of judo, perhaps none is clearer and poignant than the bow. In judo, bowing is a signal of respect," the IJF's website says .
"Bowing is also a posture of humility, gratitude, and appreciation."
Prior to Shehaby's bout with the Israeli opponent, many Egyptian's took to social media encouraging him to bow out of the competition altogether. They argued that fighting an Israeli opponent granted legitimacy to the state of Israel, something many Egyptians and Arabs more broadly do not accept.
