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Tohar Butbul
Tohar Butbul (white) of Israel and Fabio Basile (blue) of Italy compete during the European Judo Championships in Prague last November. Photograph: Martin Divíšek/EPA
Tohar Butbul (white) of Israel and Fabio Basile (blue) of Italy compete during the European Judo Championships in Prague last November. Photograph: Martin Divíšek/EPA

Second judoka drops out of Tokyo Olympics before facing Israeli

This article is more than 2 years old
  • Sudan’s Mohamed Abdalrasool fails to show up to face Butbul
  • International Judo Federation does not give reason for decision

A second judoka has dropped out of the Olympics before facing Israel’s Tohar Butbul in the 73kg division.

Olympic officials say Sudan’s Mohamed Abdalrasool didn’t show up to face Butbul in their round of 32 bout Monday despite weighing in for the bout earlier.

The International Judo Foundation didn’t immediately announce a reason why Abdalrasool didn’t compete, and the governing body didn’t respond to requests for comment. Sudanese Olympic officials also didn’t immediately comment.

Algeria’s Fethi Nourine was sent home from the Tokyo Games and suspended by the IJF on Saturday after he withdrew to avoid a potential round of 32 matchup with Butbul. Nourine was supposed to face Abdalrasool for the right to meet Butbul.

Abdalrasool is the world’s 469th-ranked judoka in his weight class, while the accomplished Butbul is seventh.

Nourine also quit the world judo championships in 2019 right before he was scheduled to face Butbul.

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