Unthinkable! Judo: A Serbian was banned for 5 months because… he made his cross in the fight with Tselidis
The decision by the International Judo Federation to ban Serbian champion Nemanja Maintov from any involvement in the sport for the next 5 months for doing his cross is causing outrage . In his career he has 7 medals in European championships and 3 more in world championships.
The giant Thodoris Tselidis deprived him of his Olympic medal in Paris , as he was eliminated in the “16” stage.
The 28-year-old Serbian judoka was informed by the International Federation that he is punished with a 5-month suspension from all activities (competitions, training camps, preparation) because he made his cross before and after the end of the match with Tselidis at the 2024 Olympic Games . The justification mentions a violation of the competition protocol regarding the display of religious beliefs.
Watch the video
The great athlete made it clear that whatever consequences he has to face, he has no regrets and will not change his attitude after his return to action. He confirms this with his letter to the International Judo Federation, since he did not apologize as he believes he did nothing wrong.
Maidoff’s post
” 15 days ago, I received notice that I have been banned for 5 months by the International Judo Federation (IJF) for violating their religious codes . Specifically, for making my cross when entering the race at the Olympic Games.
I was banned from all tournaments, camps and preparations.
The truth is that in the apology letter to the disciplinary committee I did not want to apologize for making my cross and stated that I did not do it, nor would I ever do it , even though I did not know how great the punishment could be.
God has given me everything, both in my personal life and in my career , and for me it is number one, and I am proud of it . This is not going to change under any circumstances. I will always praise and thank him.
Nothing new for me personally, just a new page in my career and a new life experience. But I am sorry that such a beautiful and difficult sport, like judo, has become like this.
God gave me a great career, with 7 European and 3 world medals . When I started, I dreamed of winning at least one of these big medals and making myself and my family proud, who sacrificed everything for my career. I have been given so much, charged to get here and I cannot simply bow my head to such a demand .
I will rest until my punishment is over and then I will return with the help of our Lord for a new beginning and new victories . I love you all, Nemanja Maidov .’
See also:
Very few people know this, but during communism, people were doing the cross, especially prisoners that were incarcerated for their religious beliefs, using their tongs, without anyone knowing. The Bolsheviks are back, and they are everywhere and they are not leaving anytime soon!
I see the genuine faith of the Serbians and I feel ashamed for us Greeks. The Greek Tselides should have done the same on stage after they disqualified his opponent during the match.
Tselidis is a disgrace if he didn’t see this opportunity to make a “confession of faith”, and support Maintov’s right to cross himself.
“What does it profit a man to gain the entire world, but to damage/lose his soul?”
The IJF made a statement recently about this (you can easily find it on-line
https://www.ijf.org/news/show/statement-from-the-international-judo-federation-ijf-18-09-2024 ). They are claiming this was not the only reason he was punished. They are claiming a few other infractions in addition to the crossing were the reasons for the suspension. They claim he didn’t bow to his opponent after the match and that he removed his gi prior to leaving the mat. The mere fact that the crossing was one of the three incidents cited is horrific. If they want to suspend him for the others, fine. Judo has very specific protocol but the IJF needs to back off of punishing athletes for discreetly performing acts of their faiths.
Phillipos,
You have just highlighted the key reason for the hypocrisy hidden in these “rules”
This mandatory rule of “bowing” to the opponent in martial arts is actually form of Buddhist religious expression:
https://www.learnreligions.com/bowing-as-a-buddhist-practice-450057
Based on that concept alone, the IJF should reverse its own ruling, but the Serb athlete is really acting Orthodox by “refusing to bow in a Buddhist manner”.
Hi Markos
Thanks for the perspective. I never researched the origins of the bow, but I have spent many years in judo and the martial arts world because of my son who trained and competed from a very young age until his young adult years. What I can tell you is that the bow and how it is used in judo and other sport related martial arts (bjj) has nothing to do with Buddism. It is akin to shaking hands. It shows respect to your teacher, opponents and training partners. If bowing was anything but that, I would not have allowed my son to train in judo. Just to reiterate what the IJF did was horrible. Olympic athletes, regardless of the event, should be allowed to cross themselves. Funny how no Olympic officials had any problems with the opening ceremony…was anyone suspended for that?
Geez, maybe they should start banning all of the Latino players in baseball for making the sign of the cross right before they go to bat?! (Bull**** hypocrisy!)
And what about the Greatest NHL Goalie in the National Hockey league who plays for the New York Rangers .. Igor Shesterkin .. from Russia and Orthodox ..who NBC or all the Major Networks televising Ranger Hockey games always pan him doing his cross before every game …and who is glorified by the New York Ranger fans .. and chant his name “Igor” .
I wonder if they banned him or suspended him from playing any Games, what would would happen! The NHL commissioner and whoever the heiarchy supported their banning would be fired within 24 hours! The issue is not what they did , but they did it ! It is no different than the State department and Zelensky banning an entire Christian Church of the Ukraine, arresting their clergy, and seizing and stealing Orthodox Christian artifacts and Icons priceless in Hisory! The issue is not that they did ..it is the fact that they actually did it , and it has been allowed to date! What a statement that makes about the depraved leaders of America and EU /Nato ..the self proclaimed leaders of the rules based international order , and “Policemen of the World “
Sadly, this is emblematic of the anti-Christian sentiment which is present in European society and is quickly spreading to the US. However , many athletes demonstrate their faith both off the field and on the field. In the beginning of games, of the college football team to which have season tickets, the majority of the players upon entering the field, congregate in the end zone and pray. Of course, this is optional but obviously permitted. The flashing of John 3:16 in the end zone is a welcomed gesture to me. I pray that these demonstrations of faith continue.
J.K.
What does John 3:16 have to do with a sport that aims to tackle, wrestle and hurt your opponent? All the while the cheerleaders are jumping up and down and dancing provocatively, while spectators are drinking beer and cussing. Football has nothing to do with athletics the way they were performed by the ancient Greeks. And certainly nothing to do with Christianity.
From what I gather, you are a cleric? You must have heard of Matthew 6:6. Christ requires us to pray in private. Not in the end zone or in midfield. They should pray in the locker room. This opens a can of worms. Who’s to stop satan worshippers or Moslems from also demanding there’s prayer in schools and games? The state has the duty to allow anyone to pray in their own way, if they allow Christians.
As a matter of fact, there’s a satanic organization that files lawsuits at all schools that prayers are conducted, to also be given permission to display their faith.
OK people. Let’s get a hold of ourselves here. No, communism is not creeping in, as one commenter posted. No, Christianity is not under attack as many “super-Christians” continually claim. This is NOT the EU as another commenter claims. It is the Olympic committee. And they have different rules than what the super league or soccer leagues or other sports leagues of all kinds have.
First of all, Christ specifically said that we must pray in PRIVATE. Matthew 6:6 tells us to go into the recesses of our room, close the door and pray. That means not to pray like the hypocrites of Jesus’ time, in public for all to see. One think Christ never forgave is hypocrisy. He forgave thiefs and adulterers, he even forgave his tormentors, but never forgave hypocrites.
So, according to Christianity, we are not to show case our praying. Moreover, the OC did not tell the judo fighter NOT to pray. He could have done it before he went onto the canvas. They have rules and those rules should be obeyed. And keeping religious displays away from competition is a good thing.
Actually you are very wrong. I come from an orthodox country and doing the sign of the cross is not really praying is more like something that protects you or to help you succeed in something–game, exam etc. So to him being Serbian, a deeply orthodox country, it is second nature. He did not start praying in front of everyone, stop exaggerating. And yes, the bolsheviks are already here, they just changed their name but they fight Christianity at every corner. You clearly don’t understand the meaning of the cross and what crossing oneself is really about and I bet you are not even orthodox. Emperor Constantine used the cross too and I guess he should just not have listened to God because he clearly displayed it. Gee, I wonder if this was an insult to his enemies and maybe he should not have been allowed to use it so they won’t be offended.
Mr Karp, did you know that boxing and wrestling were part of the ancient Greek Olympics? Yes, private prayer is important as you stated, but Christians are also encouraged to participate in corporate prayer. Both are important to Christian life. Our lord stated that if you confess me before men I will confess you before the Father and if you deny me before men I will deny you before the Father. Unfortunately, there is unruly and provacative behavior at games but I will focus on the positive aspects of the sport.
JK
I believe you are a priest, even though you have not confirmed it. I have also grown up in the church. But obviously, you are influenced by the Protestant mentality. I have seen that from many of your previous posts. Such as “Greek is not understood by anyone, so we should avoid using them”. My opinion on that is that our claim to be the original Christians is because the Gospels and so much else was written in Greek. If we discontinue the Greek language, then we lose our right to claim originality. After a few generations, we’ll be no different from all the thousands of other Christian denominations. Greek in church is imperative. Mind you, NOT ONLY Greek. English interpretations are a good thing.
As far as public prayer, you misunderstood what Christ meant when he said “if you deny me before men, I will deny you before the Father”. He meant to confess your faith when your life is in danger, as it was during the Roman empire. Christian martyrs didn’t invite their demise. They were FORCED to offer sacrifices to idols. And they refused. They didnt go in the Roman Colosseum and started praying to provoke their martyrdom. And martyrdom is not genuine, if you invite it, as the Moslem suicide bombers did on 9/11.
Rather, confessing Christ involves living a Christian life, with charity, prayer, humbleness, and brotherhood. Not going around hypocritically praying and then hurting people. With culture wars so much part of our life, we think that all you have to do is wish “Merry Christmas” and you prove your Christian bona fides. Or pray in a football field which means nothing. Nothing further from the truth. Christianity is hard, Very hard. Sports, even football have their place in society. Prayer has its place also.
Mr Karp, what is your perspective on the many Christians who knew no Greek. Are they lesser Christians? My perspective is that liturgy should be understood. As I have quoted the apostle Paul many times,” it is better to speak 5 words in a known language than 10000 words in an unknown language. ” By the way, Paul wrote that in Greek. I don’t think Paul was protestant and neither were Sts. Cyril and Methodios.
To understand why the Greek language is needed is not because God needs to hear prayers in Greek. He understands any language. The need comes because WE need to understand what God is telling US. He talked to us in Greek. If new gospels are ever talks to us in Swahili, then, we need to learn Swahili to interpret them. Because the Gospels and all the major Christian teachings are written in Greek, if Greek disappears, we’ll only have God’s commands through a third party. Not directly, as it is when you read them in Greek. A lot would be lost in translation.
Of course liturgy should be understood. That’s why we have the books in the pews, that translate every word. What we MUST understand is that especially clerics, need to understand the original Greek, otherwise, they’re basing their teachings on third party translations. Which are NEVER accuratye.
Bob, I appreciate your passion. Just a few observances from my life experiences. I spent most of my life in a very Greek parish where at least 70% of the liturgies were in Greek. I also have spent time in a predominantly non-Greek english speaking parish. In general, the non-Greek speaking parish understood the liturgy more fully and lived Orthodoxy far better than the Greek speaking one. I have spoken to many other people like me that had similar experiences.
Phillipos.
I agree with you. The faithful must understand the sermon and the rest of the liturgy. My point though is that we need knowledge of Greek to be able to INTERPRET what the gospel is telling us. Especially clerics. Otherwise, a lot is lost in translation. If tomorrow a new gospel was written in Swahili, we have to ask Swahili speakers to translate it for us. Or better yet, to learn Swahili ourselves, as many who study Christianity learn Attic Greek, to interpret the new gospel. People don’t comprehend the difference of having mastery of Greek and also being able to translate it to English. It is NOT one or the other. It is BOTH
Jesus spoke Aramaic, so all the words in the Gospel’s are translations. It is a good idea to use English in the liturgy, because it is understood by the majority, and have the liturgy books for those who wish to follow along in Greek.
There you go again with that Aramaic obsession again…despite St. John the Evangelist being an “eyewitness” author of the Gospel…or will you now claim that the Book of Revelation by St. John was also written in Aramaic on the island of Patmos?…
And you still haven’t explained why only Greek, Latin, and Hebrew were inscribed on the Cross, if Aramaic was the dominant language of that region…
J.K.
Yes, Christ spoke Aramaic. But He didn’t actually create Christianity. Saint Paul did that.
And St Paul employed Greek. If Christ’s teachings weren’t translated into Greek, Christianity would have stayed a Jewish sect, as there were thousands and there are still more sects being produced.
I agree with Markos. Think of it this way: Moslem clerics and laypeople have to know Arabic, Jewish lay people and rabbis have to know Hebrew. All prayers are in Arabic for Moslems and Hebrew for Jews. And yet, the adherents of those faiths are not abandoning their religion. And even if they were losing adherents, it wouldn’t matter. To them it is important to have the mastery of the language that the faith was conceived in.
I am involved in welcoming and introducing non Orthodox to Orthodoxy in my parish of St George, In Ocean N.J. Some potential converts are turned off with the “Greek Orthodox” sign on the front of the church. They think the church is only for Greeks. Some are even confused by the Greek in the liturgy. What I explain to them, is that the Greek language is the original language that Christianity was conceived, and that if they’re looking for the correct interpretation of the Gospels, they have found it. Otherwise, we are just a small ethnic church, like the Bulgarian or Serbian. Because of the Greek language, we have a claim to holding the true faith.
Having said that, of course the liturgy and the gospels and everything else should be available in English. Its a precarious balancing act. We must safeguard the original language of Christianity, while also making it accessible to all, including non-Greek speakers. Nothing in life is easy. We, Greeks of America have a special duty to perform. Let’s not take the easy way out
Acts 22:2 , Paul speaks Aramaic because it was the understood language. In Acts 26, God speaks to Paul, not in Greek but in Hebrew.
JK
What is your point with Aramaic? Are you suggesting that the liturgy is conducted in Aramaic? That we should learn Aramaic so we can translate the times that Paul spoke in Aramaic? Or when God spoke to Paul?
But first explain why are the Gospels, the creed, the Lord’s prayer, the epistles and everything else was not written in Aramaic?
Mr Karp, you still don’t get the message. Worship should be conducted in a language people understand, period. Language is a means of communicating a message and in the church the message is salvation and new life in Jesus Christ. If people understand English then use English and if they understand greek then use Greek. There is nothing sacrosanct about the Greek language or any language. Many faithful Christians, saints, and martyrs knew no Greek. Our hymnology is a codification of our theology and is meant to be understood.The situation is so ridiculous that choirs sing in Greek using English phonetics.
Mr. Karp, by the way, many GOA parishes are nothing more than small ethnic enclaves. There is no sense of mission and outreach. Statistically, the GOA is in a state of terminal decline. How many more years do you think your parish will be around?
I have said repeatedly that English should be used in our churches. You keep saying that I don’t. Please, read them carefully. And I also said that if we abandon the Greek language, we have lost all claim to being the followers of the true (orthro) faith.
I agree with you that the GOA is in decline. But that decline is evident at all denominations. The Catholics switched from Latin to English and they are in decline. many perform gay marriages, hoping to attract others and in the process adjusting their theology to accommodate whomever they are aiming to attract. Women clerics are accepted at most “legacy” churches. Even married gay couples are now officiating. That still is not stemming the decline. Christ said “whomever wants to follow me”. He didn’t say do whatever you can to bring people after me. Teach them the word, and let them decide if they want to follow. That word is in the Gospels, which are in Greek. And we are the inheritors of the true word, because of our language.