Ukraine Boycotts 2023 World Judo Championships Over Russia’s Involvement

Ukraine won’t be sending any athletes to the 2023 World Judo Championships Since Belarus and Russia are expected to compete in the tournament.

The World Judo Championships are expected to commence in Qatar on May 7 and end on May 14, 2023.

Long before the date for the tournament was announced, the International Judo Federation (IJF) banned Russian and Belarus Judo from the sport. Russia was banned for invading Ukraine and Belarus was added to the ban for supporting the war efforts of Russia in Ukraine. (oxfordbusinessgroup.com)

However, the IJF announced recently that it has permitted athletes from Belarus and Russia to participate in the tournament as neutrals.

In reaction to this development, the Ukrainian Judo Federation announced on Monday that the Federation “has decided not to participate in the World Championships”.

The International Olympic Committee proposed in April that athletes from Russia and Belarus will be allowed to compete under a neutral flag, though it has not yet decided whether to use the same format for Paris 2024 Olympics.

The IOC has noted that athletes and coaching staff who openly support the invasion of Ukraine or who work for the Russian military would be disqualified from the Olympics.

However, the Ukrainian Judo Federation (UJF) claimed that several Russian judokas who have registered for the 2023 World Judo Championships are “active servicemen.”

“We do not see here neutrality, equal conditions, and a ‘bridge to peace’, as stated in the IJF Resolution on the participation of Russian and Belarusian teams in the World Championships in Doha,” the UJF said.

“We see here a decision that contradicts the latest recommendations of the International Olympic Committee.

“We are disappointed with the decision of the International Judo Federation.”