Paris (AFP)
The International Judo Federation announced on Sunday the “suspension” of the honorary presidency of Russian President Vladimir Putin from his post as the Federation’s ambassador, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Due to the current conflict in Ukraine, the International Judo Federation announces the suspension of Vladimir Putin’s position as Honorary President and Ambassador of the Federation,” the International Judo Federation wrote in a statement.
It should be noted that Putin is a good judoka and has a black belt in the game.
Russia has a strong presence in the game of judo, and the president of the International Federation of the game Marius Viser is a friend of Putin, and the Russian Sergei Solovichik heads the European Union for the game, and the International and European Federations enjoy great sponsorship from Russia.