Ukraine boycotts the Judo World Championships – RSI Swiss Radio and Television

Ukraine has decided to boycott the Judo World Championships in Qatar, scheduled for May 7-14, due to the presence of Russian and Belarusian athletes. The International Federation (IJF) had in fact given the go-ahead on Sunday for the participation of the representatives of the two countries on the condition that they do so individually and under a neutral flag.

However, the tough stance of the Ukrainian Federation was not long in coming: “Most of the Russian team is made up of soldiers active in the army that has been attacking Ukraine since February 24, 2022 – reads the statement – More than 250 athletes Ukrainians, including several judokas, gave their lives to defend the country. We accept neither neutrality, nor equal treatment and not even a ‘walkway to peace’ as the IJF said in its justification. Furthermore, we believe that this decision goes against the indications of the IOC of last March 28, according to which the status of neutral athlete cannot be granted to soldiers”.