![Israel's Tohar Butbul is pictured at the judo men's -73kg round of 32 round bout against Algeria's Messaoud Redouane Dris of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena, in Paris on July 29, 2024. [LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2163673068.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Judo’s governing body is to investigate why Algeria’s Messaoud Redouane Dris failed the weigh-in for his under 73kg bout with Israel’s Tohar Butbul at the Paris Olympics, saying athletes can become “victims of broader political disputes”, Reuters reports.
The International Judo Federation (IJF) said Dris arrived for the weight control session on Sunday ten minutes before the deadline and was found to be 400 grammes over the allowed weight limit to compete today.
“Following the Olympic Games, a full review and investigation of the situation will be conducted and further action will be taken if needed,” the IJF said in the statement today.
“We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts. Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport,” it said.
Read: Why Team Israel should have no place at the Paris Olympics
The Paris 2024 Summer Games are taking place amid pronounced security concerns and heightened geopolitical tensions, including over Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
There have been widespread calls for Israel to be banned from the Olympics as Russia was after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In 2021, another Algerian, Fethi Nourine, withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics in order to avoid a potential fight against Butbul in the second round. He was then handed a ten-year ban by the IJF.
Sudan’s Mohamed Abdalrasool then did not show up to face Butbul in the Tyoko round of 32 bout despite weighing in earlier.