3. Saudi Arabian judo fighter reportedly forfeits match before facing an Israeli athlete, blames “injuries”
In the photo above, female Israeli judo fighter Gili Cohen, in white, is doing what she does best. In Rio, she was scheduled to fight Joud Fahmy from Saudi Arabia but right before their match, Fahmy dropped out citing training injuries. But since Saudi Arabia doesn’t recognize Israel as a state, many believe the decision was purely anti-Semitic.
Reports out of Israel said Fahmy forfeited early instead of having to face Cohen, a five-time Israeli champion. However, Saudi officials insisted politics had nothing to do with the decision.
Fahmy’s injuries were never confirmed.
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