The Olympics may be over, but some of the conflicts stemming from the Games are not.
The International Judo Federation is facing ongoing pushback for its decision to suspend Serbian Judo athlete Nemanja Majdov over his actions in Paris.
Majdov, who will have to miss five months of competition, was penalized for making the sign of the cross as he walked into the ring at Champ-de-Mars Arena, for refusing to bow at the end of one of his matches, and for removing part of his uniform in the field of play.
International Judo Federation controversy
The federation has been accused of unfairly limiting religious expression in its treatment of Majdov, but its leaders say the policy is actually aimed at protecting religious freedom.
“Our rules regarding the display of religious or other signs is strictly related to the field of play, which is a space dedicated exclusively for judo and where only the judo specific signs and rules are on display, equally for all. The (International Judo Federation) does not forbid the practice of religions or religious signs outside the field of play, as we continue to respect the individual freedom of each member of our community,” read a Sept. 18 statement.
Federation leaders further argued that Majdov was definitely aware of the policies he violated, since he’s been warned about them before.
“It must also be noted that the athlete did not contest either of the two warnings, therefore, his claims of not knowing about the rule which forbids the display of any religious, political, ethnic or other sign on the field of play in judo, are not accurate,” the statement said.
For his part, Majdov has expressed on social media that he’s not happy with the direction his sport is moving.
“I’m sorry that such a beautiful and difficult sport like judo has fallen to such things,” he wrote on Instagram, per The Christian Post.
He also wrote that he will not stop praising God.
“The Lord has given me everything, both for me personally and for my career, and he is number one for me and I am proud of that. And that will not change under any circumstances. Glory to Him and thanks for everything,” Majdov wrote in Instagram, according to The Christian Post, which translated his caption using Google Translate.
Religious tensions at the Olympics
The debate over Majdov’s suspension is one of many faith-based conflicts tied to the Olympics.
The most notable one centered on the opening ceremony. Christians around the world raised concerns about religious discrimination after a scene in the ceremony appeared to be a reinterpretation of “The Last Supper,” as the Deseret News previously reported.
French Olympic leaders also faced pushback for barring French Muslim athletes from wearing religious head coverings during their competitions, as the Deseret News reported.