World Taekwondo revokes Putin’s black belt, bans Russian events, flags and anthem Russia's President Vladimir Putin. (Alexei Nikolsky/Russian Presidential Press and Information Office/TASS/Abaca Press/TNS)
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World Taekwondo, the international body that governs the sport of Taekwondo, has taken multiple actions to punish Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, including revoking Russian President Vladimir Putin’s honorary 9th dan black belt status.
In a statement released Monday, World Taekwondo said it “strongly condemns the brutal attacks on innocent lives in Ukraine, which go against the World Taekwondo vision of ‘Peace is More Precious than Triumph’ and the World Taekwondo values of respect and tolerance.”
The international body announced it has decided to withdraw the honorary 9th dan black belt conferred to Putin in November of 2013.
World Taekwondo took the punishment of Russia further by banning the Russian flag from being displayed and the Russian national anthem to be played at World Taekwondo events. World Taekwondo announced similar punishments against Belarus, which facilitated Putin’s invasion by allowing Russian forces to cross its southern border with Ukraine.
In addition to banning both the flags and national anthems of Russia and Belarus at all World Taekwondo events, World Taekwondo and the European Taekwondo Union will also stop organizing or recognizing Taekwondo events in Russia and Belarus.
CBS reported Putin is one of several high-profile political leaders who have received World Taekwondo’s honorary 9th dan black belt. Other recipients include former U.S. President Barack Obama and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
World Taekwondo is actually the second international martial arts organization to strip Putin of an honorary title.
On Sunday, the International Judo Federation (IJF) announced it had suspended Putin from his role as the organization’s honorary president and ambassador.
