A milestone event took place this Wednesday at the World Judo Championships in Budapest. Former Iranian Saeid Mollaei, who is now fighting for Mongolia, faced Israeli Din Yaacov Gemer. Explanations.
It is a historic moment that took place this Wednesday on the tatami mats of Budapest. Iranian Saeid Mollaei, now under the Mongolian flag, faced an Israeli fighter in the second round of the under 81kg table at the World Judo Championships. Din Yaacov Gemer, winner of a Greek (ippon) in the first round, came up against Mollaei. 2018 world champion, the former Iranian had no trouble beating his opponent on two given waza-ari actions. Mollaei helped him up and they spoke to each other after the handshake.
At the 2019 Worlds, Mollaei, then fighter for the Islamic Republic of Iran, was launched towards his second consecutive world title. On the other side of the table, Israeli Sagi Muki also progressed to the final. Was the shock going to come? Threatened by the authorities of his country in the middle of the warm-up hall, Mollaei dropped his semi-final and then his fight for bronze so as not to meet Muki, the future winner, or even climb on the podium by his side.
A fight between Mollaei and Muki at the Tokyo Olympics?
Exfiltrated by the international federation (IJF), Mollaei found himself in hiding in Germany, far from his relatives threatened by the regime. Mollaei found a bib thanks to Mongolia and its judoka president. Since then, the rapprochement with Israel has been made. He and Muki posed together in Paris, Mollaei fought in Israel at the Tel Aviv tournament, where he was greeted as a hero. The circle was almost complete. But he had never faced either a fighter from the Hebrew State or Muki his great rival. In the past, the Persian had already, on his own this time, avoided any Israeli judoka by faking an injury or losing a match to a stranger.
In 2004, at the Athens Olympics, the most famous episode was the withdrawal of double world champion Arash Miresmaeili before his first round against an Israeli. Ultra-favorite in less than 66kg, he had faltered during the weigh-in with a surplus of several kilos. Miresmaeili, who became president of the federation, was received as a hero in the country with the check given to the gold medalists. All that remains is to challenge Muki, it may be at the Olympics this summer, in the room where Mollaei’s story took an unexpected turn.
