Dris has been drawn against Israel’s Tohar Butbul in the first round of the competition which started on Monday, 29 July. Butbul went to the next round by walkover and will face World N1 Hidayat Heydarov from Azerbaijan. The 22-year-old weighed in at 73.4 kg in Paris, resulting in him being removed from the draw by the International Judo Federation.

“On 28 July 2024 Messaoud Redouane Dris from Algeria was disqualified during the official weight control due to being overweight by 400 grams. This kind of incident can occur at any competition, during the Tokyo Olympic Games there were 4 athletes who did not pass the Weight Control.,” said the IJF statement.

In the past several other judokas have pulled out or refused to compete against Israeli opponents, AFP reports. The Algerian national Olympic committee refused to give comments to AFP.

"Tohar's competitor has removed himself from the competition. The Israeli delegation will continue to compete with the Olympic values in mind. We believe this kind of behaviour has no place in the world of sport,” is said in the statement by the Israel Olympic Committee.

Dris's compatriot Fethi Nourine was sent home from the Tokyo Olympics three years ago for refusing to fight Butbul. "We worked a lot to reach the Olympics... but the Palestinian cause is bigger than all of this," Nourine said at the time.

According to the IJF, they firmly uphold the principles of fair play, the Olympic spirit and non-discrimination. However, the organisation states that following the Olympic Games, a full review and investigation of the situation will be conducted and further action will be taken if needed.

"We believe that sport should remain a realm of integrity and fairness, free from the influences of international conflicts. Unfortunately, athletes often become victims of broader political disputes which are against the values of sport.

“In accordance with the Sport Organisation Rules of the IJF, any athlete who fails to make weight during the official weight control is disqualified from the competition. We cannot provide justification for the overweight status of Mr Dris but we remain committed to ensuring that all athletes compete under equal and fair conditions." is written in the statement.