Moroccan judoka Abderrahmane Boushita, competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, has refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent Baruch Shmailov after their fight in the weight class up to 66 kilograms. The move was seen by many as a way of denouncing Israel's war on Gaza. In a video shared online of the fight that took place on Sunday, July 28th, Boushita did not proceed to shake hands with his opponent, instead bowing his head and leaving the tatami. ? M -66 kg R32: B. Shmailov d. A. Boushita 1-0 (o-goshi) pic.twitter.com/IWOvhzHKRC — eretzsportmed5 ? (@eretzsportmed5) July 28, 2024 Boushita lost to Shmailov, who won the first-round fight, but was then eliminated in the second round, missing out on a medal. The 26-year-old Abderrahmane Boushita represented Morocco at the 2019 African Games, where he won a silver medal in the men's 66 kg category. Boushita also competed in the men's 66 kg events at the 2017, 2018, and 2019 World Judo Championships. At the 2021 African Judo Championships held in Dakar, Senegal, Boushita won a bronze medal in the men's 66 kg event. In judo, it is not uncommon for competitors to refuse handshakes; while a bow at the end of the match is mandatory, a handshake is not.
