The Ukrainian Judo Federation confirmed on Monday that its fighters will not take part in the World Championships in Doha in May. This is a reaction to the decision of the international federation (IJF) to allow Russians and Belarusians to start.
At the end of March, the IOC announced the restoration of the possibility for Russians and Belarusians to compete in individual sports under a neutral flag, provided that they do not actively support the war in Ukraine and are not associated with the army and military clubs.
As announced by world judo authorities, a company that will check the backgrounds of all registered competitors will be involved in the admission process for athletes from Russia and Belarus. Will be analysed: content transmitted via social media, with particular emphasis on war propaganda.
The Ukrainian side, however, believes that the list of reported Russian judokas includes “active soldiers”.
“We do not see here the neutrality, the level playing field and the ‘bridge to peace’ mentioned in the IJF resolution on the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams in the World Championships in Doha. We see a decision contrary to the latest recommendations from the International Olympic Committee. We are disappointed with the decision of the International Judo Federation. As a result, we have made the decision to withdraw from participation in the World Cup.”
The championships will take place from May 7 to 14. Players from nearly 100 countries will compete for medals. Poland entered the competition with 10 representatives. (PORRIDGE)
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