Olympic medalist in tawkwondo Avishag Semberg was defeated Sunday in the Roma 2022 World Taekwondo Grand Prix after losing to Croatian opponent Bruna Duvancic 1:0.
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But the real story in Semberg's Grand Prix came at the end of her first match against Sami al-Husseini of Egypt, who left the mat without bowing or shaking Semberg's hand.
Semberg, 20, competes in the under-49 kg. (108 lbs.) category. In her first two rounds, she easily defeated her opponents. Tawkwondo matches traditionally end with the competitors bowing to each other and shaking hands, a ceremony al-Husseini skipped.
Just two weeks ago, Semberg won the silver medal in the European Championships.
This was not the first time that Egyptian competitors have refused to shake hands with Israelis. At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, judoka Islam el-Shahabi refused to shake hands with Israel's Ori Sasson, and was welcomed as a hero upon returning home.
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