‘Allah Akbar’: Tajik Olympian skips handshake with Israeli athlete at judo competition

Tajikistan's Emomali emerged victorious in match and chose to walk off mat without the customary post-match gesture

During the Judo competition at the Paris Olympics, Tajikistan's Nurali Emomali made headlines for refusing to shake hands with his Israeli opponent, Tohar Butbul, after their round of 16 match on Sunday.

Emomali, who emerged victorious in the match, chose to walk off the mat without the customary post-match gesture, a decision that sparked significant online debate.

Before leaving the mat, Emomali was heard saying "Allahu Akbar" while raising a prayer gesture known as the "Finger of Tawheed," symbolising the Islamic belief in the oneness of God and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

The incident caught the attention of users on the social media platform X, who described it as a "breach of sportsmanship".

Athletes from Israel are being snubbed at the Paris Olympics in the backdrop of the country's horrific atrocities in Gaza.

Days before the opening ceremony, a Member of the Parliament representing the La France Insoumise party, Thomas Portes said Israeli athletes ‘are not welcome at the Paris Olympics’.

When Israel’s football team took the field for their first match of the Games at the Parc des Princes, against Mali last week, the country’s national anthem was so loudly jeered that the volume of the stadium’s speakers had to be increased to drown out that noise.

And at the swimming arena, 100m women’s backstroke specialist Aviv Barzelay walked out for her heat to a smattering of boos.