Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine backs out of Olympics in support of Palestine

Niloufar Saleem, Gulf Today

The whole world is looking at the Olympic Games and its magnanimity while Algerian judoka Fethi Nourine and his coach Amar Benikhlef take a step back from being a part of it.

In a shocking move the athlete and his coach announced their withdrawal from the Games as Fethi had to fight an Israeli athlete to go forward.

In a move to show solidarity with the Palestinian lives lost amidst the airstrikes and bombs, Fethi took a huge move to stand tall.

Fethi was to compete with Israeli athlete Tohar Butbul in the 73kg category.

He said that the Olympics is great and he had to go to great lengths to reach where he is now but he knows that the Palestinian cause is greater than all this.

The judo committee temporarily suspended the athlete and his coach for this move.