Clare Marie Merkowsky, LifeSite News, 10/24
A Christian judo Olympian has been punished after making the Sign of the Cross at the Paris Olympics.
According to the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) Disciplinary Commission, Serbian judo world champion Nemanja Majdov has been suspended for five months after making the Sign of the Cross while entering the ring during a July 31 Olympic tournament.
“Before I am an athlete, I am an Orthodox Christian,” Majdov told the commission, quoting Serbian tennis champion Novak Djokovic.
Majdov added that to him, God is “bigger than any sport and any job. God gave me everything in my life, I won lot of big titles, and l am thankful to Him.”
He explained that he prayed before entering the ring to give himself the confidence “to overcome all things” during the match. He added that he did not mean for his action to be disrespectful or provocative for anyone.
Majdov’s letter also fearlessly took aim at the “very satanic and out of control” blasphemous Olympics opening ceremony, which mocked the Last Supper.
Regardless of his appeal, the IJF decided to punish Majdov, citing instances in 2018 and 2022 when he had been warned about breaking this rule.
Following the IJF’s statement, Majdov expressed sorrow over his suspension but declared that he would never apologize for making the Sign of the Cross.
“I’m sorry that such a beautiful and difficult sport like judo has fallen to such things,” he wrote in an Instagram post.
“The Lord has given me everything, both for me personally and for my career, and He is number one for me and I am proud of that. And that will not change under any circumstances. Glory to Him and thanks for everything,” he continued.
Since its decision, the IJF has received considerable backlash, leading it to issue a follow-up statement on September 18, claiming that Majdov was only punished to maintain neutrality among athletes.
“Our rules regarding the display of religious or other signs is strictly related to the field of play, which is a space dedicated exclusively for judo and where only the judo specific signs and rules are on display, equally for all. The IJF does not forbid the practice of religions or religious signs outside the field of play, as we continue to respect the individual freedom of each member of our community,” the IJF said.
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