The International Judo Federation (IJF) said on Wednesday it had ejected a group of spectators from the World Judo Championships in Doha for refusing to remove a Russian military symbol.
Three spectators were seen wearing the Ribbon of St George, which is considered by many Ukrainians as a symbol of Russian aggression and has been banned in several European countries, as they watched Tuesday's action at an arena in the Qatari capital.
The IJF told AFP that the spectators refused to remove the emblem and so were thrown out of the venue.
The IJF has allowed Russian and Belarusian judokas to take part in these championships as neutral competitors, having previously banned them in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
As a result of the decision to allow the Russians and Belarusians to return, Ukraine has boycotted the event.
