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Kuwaiti Jiu-Jitsu Jassim Al-Hatem, who won the gold medal in the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in the United Arab Emirates, refused to shake hands with Israeli bronze medalist Yoav Manor.

Hatem later made a statement via his social media, saying that he had told the Israeli player that he would not shake his hand prior to the podium moment and that they should both stick to their corner. He added that Israel should be banned from the Olympics and that his nation, Kuwait, does not "recognize the zionist entity." Hatem highlighted that human values and principles must be practiced in the world of sport.

From the Israeli side, Gaim Ghozali, an Israeli mixed martial artist, who shared the video alongside Yoav Maron, said that he "hopes people stop bringing politics into sports, especially with countries we have never really had a genuine conflict with."

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Kuwaiti Jiu-Jitsu champion refuse to shake hands with Israeli player