Ukraine Pulls Out of Judo Championships Over Russian Military Presence
The Ukrainian Judo Federation has pulled its team from the Doha championships in protest. Their beef? Most of the Russian competitors are active servicemen in the Russian armed forces—forces currently waging a full-scale war on Ukrainian soil since February 2022.
IJF’s ‘Neutral Athlete’ Rule Sparks Outrage
The International Judo Federation (IJF) allowed Russian and Belarusian judokas to compete—but only as individual neutral athletes. Ukraine slammed this move, calling it neither neutral nor fair. They argue it contradicts the latest International Olympic Committee (IOC) guidelines, which clearly state that only athletes who are not military personnel can be granted neutral status.
“It is unacceptable to let military personnel from a terrorist country, who kill Ukrainians daily, compete in international competitions,” said Ukrainian star Daria Bilodid, 2019 world champ and Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist, via Instagram.
War in Ukraine Hits Sports Hard
Since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and the subsequent war in eastern Ukraine, more than 13,000 lives have been lost and over 1.5 million people displaced. Sports sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes have piled up since the conflict expanded in February last year.
The IOC has proposed allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals in upcoming events, but major questions remain—especially over Russian athletes’ possible participation at the Paris Olympics next year.
