Incheon: The general secretary of the UAE Wrestling, Judo and Kick Boxing Federation (UAE WJKF) has declared that the time will come for the UAE’s three naturalised judokas to shine on the international stage.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Friday decided against allowing Victor Scvortov, Mihail Marchitan and Ivan Remarenco from representing the UAE in the judo competition at the ongoing Asian Games. The three judokas, who originally hail from Moldovia, have been participating at international events under the UAE flag.
Scvortov was to participate in the -73kg division, Remarenco in the -100kg category and Marchitan in the -81kg category. However, following the decision of the OCA, the three athletes had to be withdrawn.
The governing body for the sport in Asia decreed that all three athletes have not spent the mandatory three years as participants for their adopted country in order to qualify. “They are going nowhere. They will stay back in Korea and continue with their preparations for the Grand Prix to be held in Abu Dhabi next month,” Nasser Mohammad Al Tamimi, General Secretary, UAE WJKF, told Gulf News.
“These athletes are our future. We need to look after them well and prepare them for the bigger competitions. But rules are rules and these need to be followed,” he added.
