IJF decision contradicts IOC recommendations
Judo Federation of Ukraine officially confirmed that will not participate in the 2023 World Cup due to the admission of Russians and Belarusians to competitions.
“The Judo Federation of Ukraine announces that it is forced to withdraw the application of the Ukrainian national team for participation in the World Judo Championship in Doha (Qatar), which will be held from May 7 to 14.”
“This is due to the fact that on Friday, April 28, the International Judo Federation (IJF) allowed the teams of Russia and Belarus to participate in the world championship as individual neutral athletes. Subsequently, the application of the team “Individual Neutral Athletes” appeared on the Judobase website.
“The majority of the teams are athletes who are active servicemen of the armed forces of the Russian Federation, part of the army that attacked Ukraine on February 24, 2022 and is still waging a brutal full-scale war on our territory, which daily shells Ukrainian cities, civilian homes, destroying civilians, children. More than 250 Ukrainian athletes gave their lives defending the country. There are also representatives of judo among them.”
“We do not see here the neutrality, equal conditions and “bridge to peace”, which are mentioned in the IJF Resolution regarding the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams in the World Championship in Doha.”
“Moreover, we see here a decision that is contrary to the latest recommendations of the International Olympic Committee of March 28, 2023, where the IOC says that the status of neutral athletes can only be granted to athletes who are not military personnel.”
“We are disappointed with the decision of the International Judo Federation. Therefore, they decided to refuse to participate in the World Cup in Doha. A corresponding letter with the official position of the FGU on the World Championships in Doha, signed by the President of the Judo Federation of Ukraine Mikhail Koshlyak, will be sent today to the International Judo Federation.”
Earlier, the head coach of the Ukrainian judo team Vitaliy Dubrova announced a boycott of the 2023 World Championship due to the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes.
The International Judo Federation (IJF) allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under a neutral flag at international competitions under its auspices.
The IOC Executive Committee recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be returned to international competitions in a neutral status. At the same time, teams from Russia and Belarus, as well as athletes who support the war or have a contract with the armies of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, are not allowed to participate in the tournaments.
Recall that the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to boycott the qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which will allow Russian and Belarusian athletes.
The 2023 World Judo Championship will run from May 7 to 14.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
