Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation

In this pool photo taken on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, attends a training session with the Russian national judo team - Copyright Credit: AP

By AP and Euronews

Published on 27/02/2022 - 11:33

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Putin is a keen judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin was on Sunday suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation (IJF).

It means he has temporarily lost his most senior official position in world sport.

The IJF said “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine” was the reason for suspending Putin.

"In light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Mr Vladimir Putin’s status as Honorary President and Ambassador of the International Judo Federation," it said in a short online statement.

Putin is a keen judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.

The federation is rare among Olympic sports bodies for using the word “war” to describe Russia’s invasion of Ukraine ordered by Putin since Thursday.

Others have used phrases such as “escalation of conflict.”

A Kremlin-supporting oligarch and longtime friend of Putin, Arkady Rotenberg, remains on the IJF executive committee as development manager.

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