The IJF Executive Committee has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes until January 2023 ©Getty Images

The International Judo Federation (IJF) Executive Committee has banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from its global events until January 2023.

The governing body was one of few Olympic International Federations that did not fully follow the International Olympic Committee's recommendations to ban athletes from the aggressor countries outright in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

Instead, it ruled that they could compete as neutrals under the IJF flag, anthem and colours.

"The Executive Committee of the IJF decided today, considering the current international circumstances and in order to ensure the protection of all athletes in the sport of judo, to not allow the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in international judo events until January 2023," read an IJF statement.

The IJF was adamant in its initial stance and defended it as one giving "equal chances to all athletes, to rise above discrimination, politics, conflicts or any other non-sport related matter" and ensuring athletes "are not to be punished for issues which are out of their control."

This resulted in Ukraine boycotting the Ulaanbaatar Grand Slam event in Mongolia and the country had threatened to do the same again for the upcoming World Championships, due to take place in the Uzbekistan capital Tashkent from October 6 to 13.

Ukraine had previously boycotted an IJF event because of the organisation's decision to allow Russian and Belarusians athletes to compete as neutrals ©Getty Images
Ukraine had previously boycotted an IJF event because of the organisation's decision to allow Russian and Belarusians athletes to compete as neutrals ©Getty Images

Earlier this week, President of the Russian Judo Federation Vasily Anisimov declared that his athletes would not be present at the event in a show of solidarity with compatriots in other sports that have been barred from competition.

"We will not take part in the World Championships," Anisimov said, as reported by Russia's official state news agency TASS.

"The decision of the International Olympic Committee concerns all Russian athletes, not only the Russian judo team."

The earliest event that Russia and Belarus will be able to return for is the Portugal Grand Prix, scheduled for January 27 to 29, with the host city yet to be confirmed.

Russia competed under a neutral flag at the 2021 World Judo Championships in Budapest.

The team finished fifth after winning three medals, one of each colour, while a single bronze from Iakiv Khammo put Ukraine 15th overall on the medals table.

Russia's name, flag and anthem were banned from the 2021 World Championships under World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions imposed over the cover-up of a state-sponsored doping programme.

Those sanctions remain in place at major events such as World Championships until December 17 of this year.