Ukrainian judokas will not take part in this month’s world championships in Qatar following the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) decision to readmit Russians and Belarusians as neutrals, the Ukrainian Judo Federation (UJF) said.
The IJF last week announced that it would allow judoka from Russia and Belarus to participate in the May 7-14 championships, saying its decision would allow Russians and Belarusians to participate in qualifying for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last month recommended that athletes from the two countries be allowed to return to international competition as neutrals.
The IOC’s recommendations exclude athletes who support the war or are contracted to military or national security agencies. The IJF has said it has enlisted an independent company to perform background checks and identify any such athletes.
However, the Ukrainian federation alleged that a number of Russian judoka registered for the championships are “active servicemen.”
Meanwhile, the International Canoe Federation (ICF) said Russian and Belarusian athletes who do not support “their State’s actions in Ukraine” can return to events as neutrals.
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