Iranian judoga avoids sanction

The International Judo Federation have opted not to impose any sanction against Iranian Arash Mikresmaeili.

The 66kg world champion judoga was reported to have said he would not fight his first-round opponent, Israel’s Ehud Vaks, on religious grounds.

He subsequently failed to fall within the required parameters at the weigh-in for the fight.

At an IJF investigation, Mikresmaeili said he had made no such statement and therefore faced no punishment.