Reuters
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Germany’s fencing federation has canceled a ladies’s foil World Cup occasion after the game’s international governing physique (FIE) reversed a ban on athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus, it stated on Thursday.
Athletes from the 2 nations had been banned from many worldwide competitions after Russia invaded Ukraine final February in what Moscow calls a “particular army operation.”
Greater than 60% of countries voted to permit Russians and Belarusians to renew competing in FIE occasions ultimately week’s extraordinary congress.
German federation (DFB) President Claudia Bokel, a workforce epee silver medallist on the 2004 Olympics, stated the choice had triggered “heated discussions.”
“Our solidarity goes to the individuals of Ukraine who’re affected by the battle of aggression,” Bokel stated. “The German Fencing Federation accepts final Friday’s determination.
“We now need to give a transparent sign that we’d have preferred a special consequence and that we nonetheless see a lot of open implementation questions from the world federation, which make it unimaginable to hold out the match.”
The competitors was scheduled for Might 5-7 in Tauberbischofsheim. Fencing’s qualifying course of for subsequent yr’s Paris Olympics is because of start in April.
Russian Fencing Federation President Ilgar Mammadov stated he was not shocked by the DFB’s determination.
“This isn’t the primary nation, others will refuse,” Mammadov, a double Olympic gold medallist in workforce foil, was quoted as saying by Russian information company TASS. “I cannot criticize my colleagues.
“In fact, we anticipated such choices. These nations that can’t maintain competitions on equal phrases won’t maintain them. There will probably be others, they’re in massive numbers.”