The Ukrainian Judo Federation (UJF) announced on Monday that Ukrainian athletes will not participate in the World Judo Championships in Qatar, which is set to take place next week.
The boycott is in response to the International Judo Federation’s (IJF) decision to allow Russian and Belarusian teams to compete in the tournament under a neutral flag.
The UJF claims that this decision contradicts the position of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on neutral athletes and alleges that many of the Russian and Belarusian athletes were active participants in the Russian military’s invasion of Ukraine.
Russian and Belarusian Athletes to Compete as “Individual Neutral Athletes”
The IJF announced on Saturday that Russian and Belarusian judokas would be allowed to participate in the tournament as “individual neutral athletes.”
However, the UJF argues that many of the Russian team members are active servicemen in the Russian Federation’s armed forces and are part of the army that invaded Ukraine. As such, they believe that the decision to allow these athletes to compete under a neutral flag is unjust.
IOC Recommendations for Neutral Athletes
In March, the IOC recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be able to compete in the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games as individuals under a neutral banner. However, the IOC also stated that athletes under contract to those countries’ armed forces or who actively support the invasion of Ukraine should be excluded.
The UJF believes that the IJF’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the World Judo Championships contradicts these recommendations.
Ukrainian Athletes Take a Stand
The UJF’s decision to boycott the tournament highlights the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The conflict began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, and it has since escalated into a full-scale war.
The UJF’s statement on its website claimed that the Russian military’s brutal full-scale war on Ukraine is still ongoing. As such, Ukrainian athletes believe that allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral flag sends the wrong message and undermines the efforts to address the conflict.
By boycotting the tournament, Ukrainian athletes hope to draw attention to the situation and stand in solidarity with their country.
