Russian president Vladimir Putin has been suspended as honorary president of the International Judo Federation (IJF) due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the sport’s governing body announced on Sunday.
The conflict has entered a fourth day with Moscow ordering its troops to advance in Ukraine “from all directions”, while the West responded Saturday with sanctions that sought to cripple Russia’s banking sector.
Ukrainian officials said 198 civilians, including three children, had been killed since Russia invaded Thursday.
Putin, an accomplished judoka who was awarded an eighth dan in 2014 – one of the highest levels in the sport, has been honorary president since 2008.