Culture
Israeli judoka Sagi Muki wins gold at World Championships
By Itzhak Rabihiya
'I never stopped believing,' says gold medalist who dominated throughout under 81kg competition, besting Belgium's Matthias Casse in final to become Israel's first male world champion; Egyptian competitor refuses to shake his hand after their quarter-final match
Muki got a fifth Ippon in six fights with a minute and 21 seconds left to end the match, and burst into tears as the referee declared him the winner.
A few minutes later, he stepped onto the winners podium at the Nippon Budokan Arena in
The 27-year-old is the first Israeli male to win the prestigious title. This is his first world title after having won gold twice at the European Championships in 2015 and 2018.
The Netanya-born athlete faced six opponents on his journey to the gold medal and showed complete dominance after beating most of them by Ippon. His Egyptian quarter-final opponent Mohammed Abdelaal refused to shake his hand after having lost their match.
After the competition, the new world champion told reporters in
"I came close to losing but I gave it everything and I never stopped believing. I'm glad I managed to keep up the pressure," he said.
"This is my first time (as world champion) and it's a very special moment for me," he said. "I finally did it. It was a tough day."
A delighted President Reuven Rivlin took to Twitter to congratulate Muki, writing: "Your achievement makes us so proud and teaches us that hard work, humanity and a hand always extended in peace can conquer the greatest heights.
"Congratulations on your gold medal and thank you for the pride you bring us all as Israelis," he wrote.
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