The international grand slam judo tournament in Abu Dhabi got political.
Many countries in the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, do not maintain diplomatic relationships with Israel, which complicated harmony at the event in UAE’s capital city.
The Israel team was stripped of its national symbols, including the flag and national anthem. One of the competitors, Tal Flicker, had to sing his national anthem alone. After Flicker won a golden metal, the snubs didn’t end there.
UAE and Moroccan judokas refused to shake hands with their Israeli opponents. The host country, UAE, did later apologize for the athletes’ behavior.
Despite the hardships imposed on the Israeli team, they won five medals during the tournament.
