The Executive Committee of the International Judo Federation (IJF) has voted to allow Russian judokas to compete in international competitions under the Russian flag, with the country's national anthem and symbols, the IJF said on Thursday (27/11)."Sport is the last bridge that unites communities and nations in extremely difficult situations and conflict environments. Athletes are not responsible for the decisions of governments or other national institutions, and it is our duty to protect our sport and our athletes," the IJF said in a statement.
"Russia has historically been a top-tier nation in world judo competition, and their full return is expected to enrich competition at all levels while upholding the IJF's principles of fairness, inclusivity, and respect," the IJF said.
The first competition where Russian judokas will return to compete under their national flag will be the Grand Slam tournament in Abu Dhabi from November 28-30, while Belarusian athletes have been allowed to compete under their flag since last June.
The International Olympic Committee has imposed sanctions on Russia and Belarus since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In September of this year, the IOC Executive Board decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics as neutral individual athletes, or without representing their countries.
Furthermore, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) General Assembly also voted to restore full membership rights to the national Paralympic committees of Belarus and Russia.
