Havana, Sep 5 (IANS) Cuban judo champion Asley Gonzalez, who won this year's Judo World Tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, claims he was offered thousands of dollars to lose the final match against Georgia's Varlam Liparteliani.
Gonzalez, who competes in the 90-kg category, said Wednesday he was first offered $15,000, then $20,000, to hand the gold medal to Liparteliani, whom he had defeated twice previously in other international competitions, reports Xinhua.
"I don't trade my medal for money," Gonzalez told Cuban online sports magazine JIT.
"They showed me the figure on a cellphone, trying to convince me to lose the final match, but my principles and my dream of becoming world champion never made me waver."
"I also couldn't let down my coach Justo Noda, my people and the revolution that has always inculcated honour and dignity above all," he said.
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