FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show Pakistan Beating Israel In Karate At The Tokyo Olympics?

A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows Pakistan beating Israel in karate at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Verdict: False

The video actually shows athletes from Russia and Montenegro competing at the 2021 European Karate Championships.

Fact Check:

The blurry 16-second video clip appears to show two male athletes competing against one another in a karate tournament. After a brief exchange of blows, one of the men can be seen yelling in excitement, while the other places his hands on his knees before falling backwards onto the ground. A Pakistani flag has been digitally inserted into the video above the yelling man, and an Israeli flag has been added over the man who collapsed.

Some Facebook users have shared the video clip with inaccurate captions alleging it shows a Pakistani athlete beating an Israeli athlete at karate during the Tokyo Olympics on July 25. One iteration has garnered over 303,000 views as of press time. (RELATED: Does This Image Show The US Women’s Soccer Team Kneeling During The National Anthem At The Tokyo Olympics?)

While karate is making its debut as an Olympic sport during the Tokyo Games, the competition is set to take place from Aug. 5 to Aug. 7, according to the Tokyo Olympics website. Neither Pakistan nor Israel competed in a karate match on July 25, the official Olympic schedules for the respective countries show.

Check Your Fact found a higher quality version of the footage that was live streamed by the World Karate Federation on YouTube May 21. The title of the video indicates the match took place at the European Karate Championships in Poreč, Croatia. In the World Karate Federation video, the athletes in question are listed as representing the Russian Federation and Montenegro, not Pakistan and Israel.

At the time of publication, Israel has so far won one gold and two bronze medals at the Tokyo Olympics, while Pakistan has not yet won a medal, according to the Olympics website.

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