European Fencing Confederation bans Belarus, Russia from its competitions

June 26, BPN. The European Fencing Confederation (EFC) has suspended the membership of Belarusian and Russian national federations, banning athletes and officials from both countries from its competitions, its website says.

The EFC Congress took the decision on June 24 at the request of the Ukrainian delegation.

On March 10, the International Fencing Federation allowed Belarusian and Russian fencers to compete in neutral status. Later, Poland and Germany canceled World Cup events in solidarity with Ukraine.

On June 21, Vital Sakałoŭski, acting chair of the Belarusian Fencing Federation, told journalists that Belarusian athletes would not participate in the Fencing World Championship in Italy. Missing this event may affect their chances of qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, he noted.

Earlier, Belarusian fencers missed the 2023 European Fencing Championships in Bulgaria’s Plovdiv.

After Russia’s new assault on Ukraine in late February 2022, the International Olympic Committee (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 the almost complete isolation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

However, 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.