By Mathieu Rosemain
PARIS (Reuters) – Israel’s taekwondo Olympic medallist Abishag Semberg was reduced to tears after being beaten by Saudi Arabia’s Dunya Abutaleb in the round of 16 of the women’s flyweight in Paris on Wednesday.
Abutaleb, the first Saudi woman to earn direct qualification to the Olympics, won 2-6 5-4 10-0 and capped her victory by landing two kicks to the head and two kicks to the body in the third round.
Both fighters were loudly supported by their compatriots in the stands with some groups side by side.
“I’m very disappointed in myself, this is not where I’m supposed to be, I’m supposed to be much better,” a tearful Semberg, speaking in Hebrew, told reporters.
“I’ve been working my arse off all my life for this.”
Semberg said the defeat was all the more upsetting because of how important she felt it was to represent Israel on sport’s biggest stage.
“This is one of the most important things for me in my life,” the 22-year-old said. “This is very disappointing for me, this is not my level. My family are here as well, very disappointing.”
Semberg also lost in the round of 16 in Tokyo three years ago but fought her way through the repechage by winning a bronze, the first medal won by Israel in the martial art.
Asked if she could do the same in Paris, she said: “No, I don’t think so.”
Semberg was the only taekwondo athlete in Paris representing her country, which has been involved in conflict with Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas in Gaza since last October.
Saudi Arabia has strongly criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, labelling them “inhumane” and accusing Israel of committing “continuous genocidal massacres” against the Palestinian population.
(Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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