Judo: Ukraine withdraws from Worlds in protest against the presence of Russians and Belarusians

Europe 1 with AFP 16:58 p.m., 01 May 2023

The Ukrainian judo federation announced on Monday that it would not send a delegation to the World Judo Championships in Qatar from May 7 to 14 due to the presence of Russian and Belarusian judokas. The Ukrainian federation claims that some of these judokas are also active soldiers. The International Judo Federation (IJF) on Sunday gave the green light for the presence of Russians and Belarusians at these world championships on condition that they do so individually and as neutral athletes.

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"All these people who are going to participate in the world championships are military"

But the Ukrainian federation said Monday that "the majority of the Russian team is composed of athletes who are active soldiers in the army of the Russian Federation that attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022" and that "continues to wage a brutal war against our territory." "More than 250 Ukrainian athletes have given their lives to defend the country and among them judokas," the Ukrainian federation said, adding: "We see neither neutrality nor equal treatment nor a bridge to peace, as the international federation says in its resolution on the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the World Championships in Doha."

"In addition, we consider that this decision contradicts the latest recommendations of the International Olympic Committee of March 28, 2023 saying that a neutral athlete status can only be granted to those who are not military," the Ukrainian federation added. Ukrainian judoka Daria Bilodid called the IJF's decision "unacceptable". "All these people who are going to participate in the world championships are military. It doesn't make any sense, does it?" said the 2019 world champion in the 48-kilo category and bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics in a message on Instagram. "I consider it unacceptable to allow servicemen of a terrorist country that kills Ukrainians every day to participate in international competitions," she said.

>> READ ALSO - The IOC for the return of the Russians in competition, but the Olympics-2024 "not addressed"

IOC must make decision on Russian participation

The president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, said at the end of March that Russian and Belarusian athletes will be able to "compete as neutral individual athletes", provided that they do not "actively support the war in Ukraine" and are not "under contract" with the army or security agencies of both countries. However, the IOC has yet to make a decision on the participation of representatives of these two countries in the Paris Olympics in 2024.