Following his invasion of Ukraine, Russian president Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation.
“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,” the IJF said in a statement.
Putin, a blackbelt and former judo champion, is believed to have been a longtime practitioner of the sport, and even co-authored a book titled “Judo: History, Theory, Practice.”
In 2008, he released a judo instructional DVD to celebrate his 56th birthday.