World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue, fourth left, insisted allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete was "a good example to support our athletes" ©World Taekwondo

World Taekwondo President Chungwon Choue has defended the decision to allow Russian and Belarusian participants to compete as neutrals at the World Taekwondo Championships here, claiming it represents "a good example to support our athletes".

Athletes from both countries had been barred from World Taekwondo events since Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine last year, but this was lifted last month after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) eased its suggested measures in response to the war.

Fourteen Russian and nine Belarusian athletes are set to compete as neutrals in Azerbaijan's capital, but two Russian Olympic champions Maksim Khramtsov and Vladislav Larin remain unable to participate because they have openly supported the war in Ukraine.

The decisions taken by World Taekwondo and several other International Federations since the IOC lifted its outright ban have proved controversial, and Ukraine has withdrawn from the World Championships.

Ukraine's Government has insisted it will boycott qualifiers for the Paris 2024 Olympics, of which the World Taekwondo Championships is one, where Russian and Belarusian athletes participate and vowed to strip National Federations of their status and findings if they do not adhere to this.

Fourteen Russian athletes are set to compete as neutrals in Baku, but Olympic champion Maksim Khramtsov is not among them after he publicly expressed support for the war in Ukraine ©Getty Images
Fourteen Russian athletes are set to compete as neutrals in Baku, but Olympic champion Maksim Khramtsov is not among them after he publicly expressed support for the war in Ukraine ©Getty Images

South Korean official Choue insisted he believed World Taekwondo had taken the right decision for the World Championships.

"Taekwondo is combat sport, but we are the most peaceful combat sport," he argued.

"Since Russia invaded Ukraine, we decided to block the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in our competitions.

"But moreover, sports is sports, so no athlete cannot participate because of political reasons.

"We respect athletes' [right] to participate in our competitions.

"That's why we opened but under the neutral flag.

"We believe that in the future, we are supporting all the athletes who are practising taekwondo."

Ukraine has boycotted the World Taekwondo Championships because Russian and Belarusian athletes are participating as neutrals ©Getty Images
Ukraine has boycotted the World Taekwondo Championships because Russian and Belarusian athletes are participating as neutrals ©Getty Images

Despite Ukraine's decision to boycott the World Championships, Choue said World Taekwondo remained committed to supporting athletes from the country.

"After the war began, we supported Ukrainian athletes," he insisted.

"We invited them to the World Poomsae Championships last year, we supported them financially, and not only that some Ukrainian athletes are now practising taekwondo in Italy and Poland.

"We are working together with our Member National Associations.

"I believe and I hope at this World Taekwondo Championships, the Russian and Belarusian participating is a good example to support our athletes."

Choue also revealed support for Ukrainian athletes would be discussed at tomorrow's World Taekwondo Council meeting.

The World Taekwondo Championships is due to start on Monday (May 29), with competition held over seven days.