Shooting federation forms commission to consider neutral athletes’ return

April 27, BPN. The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) may allow Russian and Belarusian athletes not involved in Russia’s war on Ukraine to return to international competitions, its executive committee said on April 24.

The ISSF will develop an independent review process to ensure that “only neutral athletes who are not under contract to the Russian or Belarusian military or national security services can be considered.” The move is in line with the recent recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on return of athletes to competitions, it noted.

A special commission will review the athletes’ eligibility, the statement stressed. At the same time, the ISSF expressed solidarity with Ukraine and spoke in favor of maintaining sanctions against athletes and sports officials from Belarus and Russia.

After Russia’s new assault on Ukraine in late February 2022, the IOC called on the international sports federations not to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete. That call was immediately answered on a mass scale, and resulted in almost complete isolation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

In late March 2023, the IOC said that Belarusian and Russian athletes might be admitted to international competitions under a neutral flag on condition that they are not actively involved in supporting military operations and are not linked to the military. The recommendation, however, does not apply to the 2024 and 2026 Olympics.