Judo world champion Nemanja Maidov has been suspended for five months by the international governing body for making the sign of the cross before a match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Maidov is a devout Christian and makes no apologies for his faith. He appears to have violated International Judo Federation rules when he made the sign of the cross at the Paris tournament on July 31, 2024.
a video A photo posted to X showed the 28-year-old man walking through the packed arena while praying.
“The Lord has given me everything, both personally and in my career.”
The IJF announced the suspension in a statement on its official website. Website:
Majdov was accused of “violating the IJF Code of Ethics” by “showing obvious religious signs when entering the competition area and refusing to bow to his opponent at the end of the match,” the federation wrote.
“The athlete received written warnings in April 2018 and February 2022 for conduct contrary to IJF rules. [Sport and Organisation Rules]” the statement added.
Maidov has been long statement He commented on the incident on his Instagram page, where he often posts content about his faith.
“Fifteen days ago, I received a decision from the International Judo Federation (IJF) to suspend me for five months for violating religious regulations – more precisely, for being baptized while competing in an Olympic match,” he said.
“I was banned from all tournaments, camps and preparations,” Maidov continued.
The judoka then explained that not only did he “not want to apologize for my baptism,” but that he never intended to apologize.
“The Lord has given me everything, both personally and career-wise. He is number one for me and I am proud of that and that will not change no matter what the circumstances. Glory to the Lord and thanks for everything,” he added.
The IJF said its rules aim to “protect the ethical values and moral principles” of the sport while ensuring that the competition is “exclusive to judo and only judo-specific signs and rules are displayed equally to all.”
Photo: Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images
At the same time, the organization said it “respects and values” all cultures, nationalities, religions and orientations. Using language commonly used in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the IJF asserted it has a duty to all “stakeholders” to ensure they feel “respected and accepted” at all of its events.
Maidov is the 2017 World Champion and 2023 European Champion, having won a total of five gold medals in international competitions.
He said the suspension was “nothing new” for him, but rather a “new page” in his career and life.
“It's a shame that such a beautiful and difficult sport as judo has fallen into this,” he told fans.
“God has given me a great career. … We're going to take a break [during the suspension]And with the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, we return to new beginnings and new victories.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censorship and sign up for our newsletter to receive stories like this directly to your inbox. Register here!
