As first reported in Israel Hayom, Oren Smadja announced he will leave his position as coach of Israel's men's judo team, ending a 15-year career.
In a story posted on his Instagram account, Smadja wrote, "With a heavy heart and after no less than 15 years serving as the coach of Israel's men's judo team, I was forced with immense sadness to submit my resignation to the Israeli Judo Association. You've known me since I was a boy, you know that judo is my life, and my life is judo. But precisely because judo is part of my soul, I can no longer continue. I never thought I would say this, but that's it, I'm throwing in the towel and submitting my resignation.
"I am worried, worried about the future of Israeli judo. Therefore, I felt I had no choice but to sacrifice myself for the future of the sport. Perhaps my resignation will cause someone to understand that if I'm throwing in the towel, it's time for a thorough examination of what's happening behind the scenes. I've endured for years because I didn't want to harm the athletes, but my restraint only made the situation worse. So today I say enough," Smadja added.
The Israeli Judo Association responded, "We received Oren's resignation with regret. We have no intention of entering into an argument with a bereaved father despite the inaccuracies in his statements. Oren was and will always be a central part of Israeli judo's glorious legacy."
Smadja is one of the pioneers in Israeli judo and became the first Israeli man to win an Olympic medal when he captured bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Over the past 15 years, he has led the men's judo team to remarkable achievements, including Sagi Muki's gold medal at the 2019 World Championships, a bronze medal with the mixed team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and a bronze medal with Peter Paltchik at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Last year, Smadja suffered the tragic loss of his son, Omer, who died during military operations in Gaza. Recently, he also lit a ceremonial torch at Israel's Independence Day ceremony, representing Israeli determination and spirit, alongside Paralympic medalist Gal Hamrani and basketball player Deni Avdija.
