Russian judo player Makhmadbek Makhmadbekov has changed his sports citizenship. The athlete announced this on August 31 on his Instagram page (an organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation).
“Now is the time to make a decision that will change my life again. This decision was not easy, but my ambitions left me no choice, I cannot sacrifice everything I have been through.”wrote the athlete.
Makhmadbekov said it was “very difficult” for him to leave the Russian national team and thanked the coaches who raised him.
The judoka concluded that a change in sports citizenship is necessary to achieve the results he seeks.
It should be noted that the International Olympic Committee did not allow the leaders of the Russian judo team to attend the Paris Olympics and sent invitations to athletes of the second tier, including Makhmadbekov.
As a result, the Russian Judo Federation, in response to the IOC decision, announced a boycott of the Olympic Games.
Makhmadbekov initially accepted the invitation of the IOC and only at the last moment refused to participate in the Olympics. Part of the sports community assumed that Makhmadbekov had refused to participate in the Olympics against his will under pressure from sports officials.
We also note that the International Judo Federation allows Russian judokas to participate in international competitions under a neutral flag, including the World Championships. The only exception was the Olympic Games, to which access was granted not by the judo federation, but by the IOC.
Thus, we can say that Makhmadbekov exchanged Russian sports citizenship for a hypothetical opportunity to participate in the 2028 Olympic Games.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.