A judo champion has been suspended for five months for making the sign of the cross during the Olympics this summer. Nemanja Majdov has been suspended by the International Judo Federation (IJF) for ‘having shown a clear religious sign when entering the field of play’.

Serbian judo world champion Nemanja Majdov vowed not to apologize after he was hit with a five-month ban for making the sign of the cross before he competed at the Paris Olympics. Majdov was accused of violating the International Judo Federation’s religious code for “having shown a clear religious sign when entering the field of play” and was barred from participating in “all tournaments,

Serbian athlete Nemanja Majdov, 28, has been left floored by a decision to suspend him for five months after he made the sign of the cross (right) while taking part in this year's Olympic Games.