The black-belt Russian president held the role of honorary president of the federation but has been removed of his role
Monday 7 March 2022 10:08, UK
Russian President Vladimir Putin and a Russian businessman have been removed from all positions in the International Judo Federation (IJF) in the latest sporting rebuke following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The decision, announced in a brief statement, comes after Putin, a black belt who has co-authored the book titled "Judo: History, Theory, Practice", was suspended as IJF honorary president last week.
"The International Judo Federation announces that Mr Vladimir Putin and Mr Arkady Rotenberg have been removed from all positions held in the International Judo Federation," it said.
Billionaire businsessman Arkady Rotenberg had been on the IJF executive committee as a development manager since 2013.
The federation did not mention Russia's invasion of Ukraine but it said on February 27 it was suspending Putin as honorary IJF president "in light of the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine".
Putin was also stripped of his honorary taekwondo black belt conferred in 2013 by World Taekwondo and a FINA Order, awarded to him in 2014 by swimming's global body.
Since the beginning of what Putin has called "a special military operation" in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian teams and athletes have found themselves frozen out from international competitions across sports. Belarus has been a key staging area for Russia's invasion of its neighbour.
Novak Djokovic has offered financial support and any other help required to Ukrainian former world No 31 Sergiy Stakhovsky, who has enlisted in his country's reserve army amid Russia's invasion of its neighbour.
Stakhovsky, who won four ATP titles and had a shock win over Roger Federer in the second round of Wimbledon in 2013, joined Ukraine's reserve army last month despite a lack of military experience.
The 36-year-old posted a screenshot on Instagram of his conversation with Djokovic via WhatsApp, in which the Serbian world No 2 asked about his situation and hoped for things to calm down.
"Please let me know what would be the best address to send help... financial help, any other help as well," Djokovic said in the message to the retired Stakhovsky.
Stakhovsky posted on Instagram that Ukraine was grateful for Djokovic's offer of support.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation" designed not to occupy territory but to destroy its neighbour's military capabilities and capture what it regards as dangerous nationalists.
Several other Ukrainian athletes, including world boxing heavyweight champions Wladimir Klitschko and Vitali Klitschko, are defending their country after taking up arms.
