World Taekwondo takes back the honorary black belt of Vladimir Putin

Amid the ongoing crisis between Ukraine and Russia, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary blackbelt of Vladimir Putin.

In a statement, the governing body noted it upholds the motto of "Peace is More Precious than Triumph," and condemned the Russian Military action in Ukraine.

"In this regard, World Taekwondo has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Mr. Vladimir Putin in November 2013," the statement noted.

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The decision follows the International Judo Federation's announcement on Sunday that Putin's role as honorary president and ambassador will be suspended.

World Taekwondo also stated that it would join the International Olympic Committee in prohibiting the use of the Russian flag and anthem in international sporting events. Russian national teams and clubs have been barred from competing by other sporting organizations such as FIFA and UEFA as well.

While tensions between Russia and Ukraine, a former Soviet republic, have existed for some time, they began to spiral out of control in early 2021. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pushed US President Joe Biden to allow Ukraine to join NATO in January of last year which apparently did not sit well with Putin.

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A year later in February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine which has led to ongoing issues.

What do you think of the move from World Taekwondo? Let us know in the comments below.

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