It was this Monday, July 29, that the Algerian judoka Messaoud Dris was to face the Israeli Tohar Butbul for his first fight of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Since the draw put the Israeli on the path to the Algerian athlete, many wondered about the latter’s intentions and the Algerian delegation’s leaders.
Ultimately, Messaoud Dris was disqualified by the organizers following his failure at the weigh-in. Registered in the category of less than 73 kg, the Algerian judoka weighed 73.4 kg, which led the organizing committee to pronounce his disqualification and the qualification for the next round of the Israeli athlete.
All the European and especially Israeli media that covered this information wondered if Messaoud Dris intentionally disqualified himself so as not to face Tohar Butbul at the risk of being inflicted with a big sanction from the International Judo Federation (IJF) , as was the case in 2021, in Tokyo, when the Algerian Fethi Nourine refused to face the same Tohar Butbul1.
Did Messaoud Dris let himself go intentionally?
“Redouane Messaoud Dris was disqualified… Dris, who entered in the men’s -73 kg event, failed the weigh-in. Consequently, his opponent Tohar Butbul will win the planned fight by forfeit,” announced the organizing committee of the Paris Olympics, which did not allude to possible suspicions about the true intentions of the Algerian judoka.
If certain Israeli media reported on the Israeli Olympic Committee, which believes that “this type of behavior has no place in the world of sport”, those who covered this information in France at no time left a margin for doubt on the attitude of the Algerian athlete. This is the case of Midi Libre, which affirms in terms of its title that Messaoud Dris let himself go in terms of weight.
In any case, Algeria will not face the Israelis as some of the Algerians desire. With this “trick” of weight, it does not risk being sanctioned by the IJF, as was the case for Fethi Nourine who received a 10-year suspension after refusing to fight with the same Tohar Butbul. His trainer, Ammar Benikhlef, was also sanctioned.
