LAUSANNE (Switzerland) – After having suspended the Russian leader from the post of honorary president Vladimir Putinlhe international federation of Judo announced that Russian athletes will still be able to continue competing at any competitive level, but as neutral athletes, therefore without flag and national anthem. On the other hand, no measures were taken against the representatives of the Belarus. Below, here is the press release. “The global decision to sanction all Russian athletes – it is written in the note -, regardless of the different opinions they may express, does not appear justified, because we cannot condemn the athletes for what is happening. Their exclusion would only fuel the escalation of violence and the feeling of injustice in those who would be forced not to compete. The athletes did not participate in any decision regarding the conflict “. The world of judo has not accepted the invitation of the That is to exclude from competitions and from the organization of sporting events both Russia and Belarus and therefore aligns with what has already been decided by the tennis, swimming and fencing federations, which have authorized the Russians to compete as – precisely – ‘athletes neutral ‘. Conversely, football, track and field, ice hockey, rugby, badminton, skating, canoeing, alpine skiing, and handball have accepted an invitation from the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia. The world volleyball body, the Fivb, has for now only limited itself to excluding Russia from the men’s World Cup which it was supposed to host between 26 August and 11 September.
