Israeli jiu-jitsu fighter Yoav Manor captured a bronze medal over the weekend at the prestigious Abu Dhabi Grand Slam tournament, but the competition ended with a tense scene on the podium involving Kuwaiti gold medalist Jassim Alhatham.
Competing in the under-77 kilogram division, Manor completed an impressive day on the mats with three victories in four matches to secure a spot on the podium while representing Israel ahead of next month’s European Championships in Romania.
According to witnesses at the venue, the sporting celebration quickly turned confrontational after Alhatham allegedly refused to shake Manor’s hand or pose with him for the traditional medal ceremony photograph.
Members of the Israeli delegation said the Kuwaiti competitor told Manor, “You Israelis are killing children,” and added, “If you had reached the final, I would not have competed against you.”
Despite the tension, tournament organizers and hosts from the United Arab Emirates reportedly attempted to calm the situation and persuade the Kuwaiti athlete to remain for the ceremony, but he ultimately chose to leave the podium area.
Manor remained focused on his achievement after a demanding day of competition against opponents from around the world.
'Yoav Manor brought great honor to Israeli sports today'
“Abu Dhabi Grand Slam is a very prestigious competition organized by the AJP and managed by the United Arab Emirates,” said Amir Buaron, coach of Israel’s national jiu-jitsu team. “Yoav, a member of Israel’s under-21 national team, came to the tournament as part of his preparation for the European Championships that will take place in June in Romania.”
Buaron praised Manor’s performance and composure throughout the incident.
“Yoav had an excellent tournament: three victories, one loss, and a bronze medal,” he said. “Unfortunately, the opponent refused to shake his hand and take a picture with him, and even called him a ‘child killer.’ Yoav continued trying to shake his hand and behave like a sportsman.”
The Israeli coach also highlighted the response from the Emirati hosts.
“It’s important to emphasize that the hosts from the United Arab Emirates welcomed us wonderfully and even apologized for the behavior,” Buaron added. “We will always be on the side that shakes hands, embraces, and preserves the spirit of sport.”
Arik Kaplan, president and CEO of the Ayelet Association for Non-Olympic Sports, also praised Manor’s conduct following the incident.
“Yoav Manor brought great honor to Israeli sports today,” Kaplan said. “Not only because of the athletic achievement on a prestigious international stage, but especially because of his respectful and appropriate behavior in the face of hostile and unsportsmanlike conduct from another athlete.”
Kaplan added, “Yoav showed character, restraint, and values. That is the Israeli spirit and what we want to see from our athletes – excellence on the mat and respect off it.”