Kuwaiti jiu-jitsu champion Jassim Alhatem refuses to shake hands with Israeli medalist Yoav Manor during the medal ceremony at the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam Jiu-Jitsu World Tour, according to multiple reports. Coverage says the incident occurs after Manor wins a bronze medal in the under-77 kg division and celebrates on the podium, where a traditional handshake and photo opportunity typically take place.
The reports describe Alhatem as declining the handshake and not standing beside Manor for the official podium photograph. In statements attributed to Alhatem, he says he does not respect “these types,” and he also frames the refusal in religious and political terms, including references to Islam and Israel as a “Zionist entity.”
No source provides details of any official sanction or formal response from event organizers within the reports summarized. The accounts agree the ceremony becomes tense immediately after the medal win and that Alhatem’s refusal is the central point of the controversy.
