A Turkish Kung Fu champion has thrown his European Championship gold medal into the Nile River in protest against Israel’s aggression in Gaza and to show solidarity with the Palestinian people.
According to international media reports, Najmuddin Erbakan Akyüz, a prominent Kung Fu fighter from Türkiye, condemned what he described as European complicity in Israel’s genocidal campaign in Palestine, and as an act of defiance, discarded his gold medal into the Nile during a visit to Egypt.
Akyüz had won the European Kung Fu Championship in 2023, and during the victory ceremony, he had raised the Palestinian flag in support of the Palestinian cause. The move displeased championship officials, who subsequently launched an investigation against him and suspended his title. Despite this, Akyüz stood firmly by his stance.
In a brave move, Necmettin Erbakan Akyuz tossed his gold into the Nile River to declare, “I sacrifice my world medal for #Gaza, after the World Federation threatened to take it away from him after he won the European Championships and raised the Palestinian flag.
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On May 26, Akyüz posted a video on social platform X, saying: “No personal achievement of mine is more valuable than a single drop of the blood of oppressed Palestinians,” before dramatically throwing his gold medal into the Nile River.
He went on to harshly criticize Israel, claiming that: “I earned my title through hard work, but the Jews portrayed it as if it was a favor to me,” and accused the sports world of being manipulated by Zionist interests, stating that Jewish influence extends across all fields, including sports, often coercing others into submission.
Referring to the European Championship’s investigation into his conduct, he reiterated: “They suspended my title after I stood with Palestine.”
Addressing Israel directly, Akyüz declared: “As long as we are alive, these lands will never serve your interests.”
The act has been widely circulated and is being seen as one of the boldest and most symbolic gestures of solidarity with Palestine in the realm of international sports.
