A medal ceremony at one of jiu-jitsu’s most prestigious international competitions descended into controversy on Friday when Kuwaiti gold medalist Jassim Alhatem refused to shake the hand of Israeli bronze medalist Yoav Manor at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour.
Manor, competing in the men’s blue belt amateur under-77 kg (170 lbs) division at the Abu Dhabi Jiu-Jitsu Pro (AJP) event in Abu Dhabi, had earned his podium spot by winning three of four bouts. On the other hand, Alhatem went undefeated through all four of his matches to claim gold.
What should have been a routine podium moment became anything but. When Manor extended his hand, Alhatem declined. He also refused to take part in the traditional winners’ photo.
Additionally, members of the Israeli delegation stated that the Kuwaiti champion told Manor directly, “You Israelis k*ll children,” adding that he would not have competed against the Israeli athlete had they met in the final.
Alhatem later addressed the incident in a video that circulated on social media. He made clear the gesture was not spontaneous.
“Even though I had spoken to him before the podium and told him, ‘I don’t want to know you, and I don’t want to greet you. Stay on your side, and I’ll stay on my side, so [there would be] no problem,'” Alhatem said.
He accused Manor of using the handshake attempt as a performance.
“We do not play with these types. We do not respect these types,” he said. Speaking on behalf of his country, he went further: “As Kuwaitis, we do not respect them at all.”
Alhatem, who referred to Israel as the “Z*onist entity” in his video, pushed back firmly against the notion that athletes should separate sport from geopolitics.
“Even if you tell me sports is separate from politics, no, no. There is no separation. If that were true, Russia wouldn’t be banned right now from participating in the Olympics.”
He closed with what he framed as personal advice for fellow Muslim athletes. “The last thing, guys, advice from a brother: have principle. You, as a Muslim man, must have a principle.”
While Alhatem made his exit from the podium area, Manor chose to stay.
The Israeli delegation released a statement noting that event organizers and Emirati hosts made efforts to calm the situation and encourage Alhatem to complete the ceremony, but he ultimately walked away. Manor remained on the podium.
