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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug, 16 (Xinhua) -- The International Olympics Committee (IOC) said Monday that an Egyptian Judo athlete has been sent home after he refused to shake hands with his Israeli opponent during a game Friday.
Islam El Shehaby, 34, came under fire for leaving the game without a required handshake or a bow after losing to Or Sasson of Israel. He was called back by the referee to make the customary gesture but only gave a grudging nod before exiting.
The action was roundly booed by the spectators who were angry at the unsportsmanship behavior.
According to the IOC, El Shehaby was "against the spirit of friendship embodied in the Olympics." The Egyptian Olympic Committee also condemned El Shehaby's actions and sent him home.
But Egypt's judo federation said in a statement that El Shehaby returned home with his teammates as scheduled.
Sasson later revealed that El Shehaby's conduct was not unexpected, as some conservatives in Egypt were unhappy about the match.
