Nemanja Majdov, 28, has been told that he was found guilty of “having shown a clear religious sign when entering the field of play.”
In a statement on Instagram, Majdov added:
“in the defense letter of the disciplinary proceedings, I did not want to apologize… and of course, I did not, nor will I ever, although I did not even know what the punishment could be. The Lord has given me everything, both for me personally and for my career, and he is number 1 for me, and I am proud of that. And that will not change under any circumstances. Glory to Him, and thanks for everything. Nothing new for me personally, just a new page in my career and a new life experience. I’m sorry that such a beautiful and difficult sport like judo has fallen to such things. God gave me a great career, 7 European and three world medals. When I started, I dreamed of winning at least one big medal and thus succeeding in my life and the life of my family, who sacrificed everything for my career. He gave us a lot more and even borrowed too much so that I would bow my head in front of them when it came either-or.”
The athlete was previously warned not to make the sign of the cross. The IJF said that this is simply an effort to ensure its members “feel respected and accepted.”
I am not sure how that tracks. Athletes expressing their faith does not condone other faiths or belittle competitors. It shows that their accomplishments are not their own. They may want to embrace their friends, their country, or their faith.
The irony is crushing after the Olympics began with what many viewed as irreligious or disrespectful imagery for many religious people.
I fail to see how denying such gestures advances the game or its values. Part of these games is to respect our different values and cultures. While that justifiably means that the games do not officially endorse or demonstrate religious values, individual athletes should be able to acknowledge their faith in such small gestures. If we want to embrace the diversity of our world, the solution is not to bar expression of diverse values.
It appears that faith may move mountains, but not the Olympics.