Staff Writer

Tokyo’s Governor Yuriko Koike has congratulated former Egyptian judo champion, Mohammed Ali Rashwan, after he received Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun.  

In a Twitter video message, the Arabic-speaking governor said that the Japanese people were proud of Rashwan’s award.

Koike said that the year 2020 marked the 30th anniversary of the joint agreement between Tokyo and the governor of Cairo. “I wish the best for Mohammed Rashwan in all of his future endeavors,” he added.

Rashwan, famous for his gold-medal bout against Yasuhiro Yamashita at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, was honored with the prestigious Japanese award after he refrained from targeting his Japanese opponent Yamashita’s injured right calf during the match at the American games.

He received the award from the Japanese ambassador to Egypt at a ceremony in Cairo, attended by president of the Egyptian Judo Federation, and the Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports Ashraf Sobhy.

https://twitter.com/nippon_ar/status/1190133570825666561?s=21