Judoka Avtar Loses to Refugee Team Opponent, Out of The Olympics

The only Indian judoka to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

Popole Misenga, blue, of the Refugee Olympic Team, competes against India’s Avtar Singh during the men’s 90-kg judo competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Indian judoka Avtar Singh crashed out of the Rio Olympics after losing to Refugee Olympic Team’s Misenga Popole in the second round of the Men’s 90 kg elimination Round of 32.

The 24-year-old from Punjab, who had clinched a gold at the South Asian Games in Guwahati early this year, failed to match up to Popole, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The 24-year-old Popole gathered a point through Yoko, which is awarded for a throw that is ‘partially lacking’ in two of the three elements of an ippon: putting the opponent on his back, speed of throw, force of throw.

Avtar, on the other hand, was penalised twice for non-combativity, where a player does not attack enough, intentionally stepping out of bounds, play too defensively or put a hand directly on the opponent’s face.