Judo Federation Removes Titles from Putin, Russian Oligarch

Russia's President Vladimir Putin, here seen in 2019, has made much of his fondness for keeping fit with judo and ice hockey Mikhail KLIMENTYEV SPUTNIK/AFP/File

The International Judo Federation has removed the titles and jobs Vladimir Putin and a long-time Kremlin-supporting oligarch held at the organization.

“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,” the Budapest-based governing body said in a statement late Sunday, The Associated Press said.

Putin’s honorary presidency of the IJF was suspended last week with the organization citing “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine.”

The Russian president is an avid judoka and attended the sport at the 2012 London Olympics.

Rotenberg is a long-time friend of Putin from their home city of St. Petersburg and was a member of the IJF executive committee as “development manager.”