Posted on 07/18/2005 8:35:56 PM PDT by ChicagoHebrew
Apparently you don't have to be Jewish (or even an Israeli Arab) to win at the Maccabiah. Even natives of countries at war with Israel can win the gold – almost.
Mohammad Babulfath went undefeated on his way to taking first place in the 84-kg weight class of the Maccabiah's Greco-Roman wrestling competition at Hadar Yosef on Sunday. But nobody seems to know how he got into the competition in the first place.
The Iranian-born Muslim, who represents Sweden at international competitions, came to the Maccabiah, the "Jewish Olympics," with his teammate Jimmy Samuellson and coach Richard Swierad, neither of whom are Jewish either. The three had no idea that the Maccabiah is only open to Jews and Israelis, and came to participate as a result of a long line of irresponsible mix-ups. "I don't know exactly how," said Swierad, laughing, "but we are here."
Apparently, the Swedes weren't the only ones who didn't know exactly how they ended up at the Maccabiah. The Israel Wrestling Federation officials and the Maccabiah each ducked responsibility for the Swedes' presence, but slowly, the mess on the mats began to unravel.
The story began on June 16, almost exactly a month ago. Posted on the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Style's (FILA) Web site was a document with the heading "Invitation," signed by IWF President Dr. Solomon Stolar. The invitation stated: "We have the pleasure of inviting your team to the Israeli 17th Maccabiah Games In Greco-Roman & free style for seniors." The "invitation" also included a schedule for the weigh-in and the competitions.
"No, this wasn't an open invitation," Stolar said during the competition. "It's written that the international competitions are within the framework of the Maccabiah.
"This isn't an invitation, it's a schedule of the times," he said with the document in his hand. "An invitation can only be sent by the Maccabiah organization."
When asked why the document with the heading "invitation" was posted on the FILA Web site if it is not, in fact, an invitation, Stolar responded, "Everyone can interpret it as they want. I'm not responsible for that."
The Maccabiah is also listed on the FILA Web site's calendar as an international competition. Beni Megretishvili, the treasurer of the board for the IWF, only found out "days ago" that Babulfath, Samuellson, and Swierad were coming. "They saw that there is a competition on the calendar," he said. "We didn't want a situation where we tell a country that it can't participate. So we let them."
Does this make them full Maccabiah participants? Daniel Jonas, the head of the Swedish contingency for the Maccabiah, doesn't think so.
"There may be several wrestlers, but none of them are part of the Swedish delegation," said Jonas. "We don't have anything to do with them. With these guys, we haven't got a clue." Stolar told The Jerusalem Post that the Maccabiah officials invited the Swedish men.
"The Organizing Committee for the Maccabiah invited them," he said. "The Maccabiah, according to its criteria, invited participants. I'm not qualified to decide who is a Jew and who isn't. I didn't check them. We don't decide who to accept and who not to. We only organize the event." Members of the Maccabiah sports department, however, denied that they had anything to do with the Swedish men's involvement.
"They were invited as a mistake by the [wrestling] committee," said sports department director Asaf Stolarz. "They don't belong to the Maccabiah. The Swedish team said they they're not part of the delegation. The Israeli Wrestling Federation invited them."
Whoever invited the three Swedish men forgot to help them get into the country. Samuellson, the 2002 Greco-Roman world champion who trained in Colorado, spoke about the reception they received at Ben-Gurion Airport on Saturday night.
"They didn't pick us up," he said. "We called [Maccabiah] information. We said we're in the Maccabiah Games. They said, 'You're not on our list; you can't come.'
"I said, 'Why did we fly so long to come here if we're not in the games?' We waited for three-and-a-half hours and then the Maccabiah said, 'You can come.'" The Swedes took a cab to Netanya's Margoa Hotel where the other wrestlers are staying.
Raz Zahavi, coordinator of the guest wrestlers, found out he would have to deal with three new wrestlers only after they arrived. "Somebody from Kfar Maccabiah called me and told me they're in the airport...We fixed it in a short time."
Zahavi may have fixed their living accommodations quickly, but members of the IWF were still trying to decide during the competitions whether these men would receive medals if they should win. "Whoever wins will get a medal," Stolar said. Later, Michael Cachevsky, the head judge, said that they wouldn't receive medals. "He will be champion of the tournament, not of the [Maccabiah]," he said.
When asked if the tournament is part of the Maccabiah, Cachevsky nodded his head. Meanwhile, several Jewish wrestlers had reservations but felt that the Muslim and Christian should be allowed to fight. "They came, they didn't know," said Israeli Itzhak Eligolashvili, who lost to Babulfath in the semifinals. "Therefore, you have to give them the chance to compete. They heard it was an international tournament. They didn't know it was the Maccabiah for Jews."
Canadian Daniel Einhorn, a bronze medalist in Babulfath's weight class, felt that the Swedes should not be a part of the Maccabiah. "It defeats the purpose of the Maccabiah. The purpose of the Maccabiah games is to compete against Jewish athletes from around the world. "They should wrestle, but if they get first place, they shouldn't get the medal."
To their credit, Babulfath and Samuellson were unaware that they were coming to Israel for an all-Jewish event. "The Swedish Wrestling Federation asked me if I want to go to Israel for competition," Babulfath said. "We say, 'Yeah, of course.'
"I have many good Jewish friends in Sweden who told me they don't think I can play in the Jewish games. But I didn't think [they were correct.]" Babulfath, who said that he has no problem competing on the same mat as a Jew, doesn't think that religion should be a factor in athletic competition. "Normally I don't care about religion," he said between matches. "You must be a good man."
The Swedish wrestlers, who are among the best in the world, were each forced to wrestle in a weight class higher than what they are used to. The "invitation" from which they received their information had ten o'clock Sunday morning written on it as the time for weigh-in. Instead, they were weighed on Saturday night, which did not allow them time to shed the few pounds to get into their appropriate weight classes.
Even so, the two men swept through the competition, both beating Israelis in the championship. That set the stage for an awkward and confusing medal ceremony, during which the Swedish men found out that they would not receive Maccabiah medals, but instead less impressive looking medals recognizing their participation. "It's a catastrophe," Samuellson said. "We are in the tournament. Why shouldn't we get any medals? We fought three matches hard."
"I didn't request first place," said Denis Nikolaev, who won the gold medal despite losing to Babulfath in the finals. "A loss is a loss. I thought that I was in second place, then [the IWF officials] told me at the end that I'm first place."
Nikolaev said that he thought Babulfath should have won the gold medal and brought the Iranian-born Swede up to the podium with him. "I'm going to tell this to my kids," said Babulfath afterwards, smiling. "Because I think it's my first and last time here."
I agree. A funny story. They should give the medal to the rightful winners, but make sure it doesn't happen again.
I'd like to see Catholic games as well. I wonder if they exist.
like after the Pali bombers blow up Israelis, but only maim themselves, they get carted off to Jewish hospitals and get the best treatment available.
Is this a call for suggestions for "sports" to include in the competition?
I suggest "Catholic School Knuckle Rapping"...
I won't even touch the whole "priest" thing.....
I was actually being serious, because there are A LOT of Catholics throughout the world from all different areas. So a pure Cathoilc set of games could very likely be a major sporting event.
But, if we are going to make jokes, we Jews definitely need to have the 16 hour legal nitpicking marathon and the 3300 year relay.
Didnt Iran issue a fatwa against its athletes for any of them competing against an Israeli? If so would Iranian Swede fall under that edict?
Or: from the book of shortest lists, famous Jewish athletes.
P.S. Just what is the point of snowmobiling?
No pun intended, I presume.
"Catholic School Knuckle Rapping"....last years winner was Sister Ernest Borgnine
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