The governing frame of desk tennis It mentioned it could practice the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) steering on Russian and Belarusian gamers by way of permitting them to compete as neutrals.
The IOC issued a collection of tips on Tuesday for global sports activities federations that might permit athletes from the 2 international locations to go back since their ban closing 12 months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus helped facilitate.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) mentioned on Thursday gamers from Russia and Belarus may resume competing “under strict conditions of neutrality” from May on the earliest, however can not input that month’s global championships after lacking qualifiers.
The governing frame, which is able to create its personal pointers to specify the stipulations in their participation, mentioned it used to be “acutely aware of the potential dialogues the sport can create”.
It cited the instance of ‘ping-pong international relations’, when American desk tennis gamers traveled to China in 1971 for a chain of exhibition video games which helped thaw family members between the 2 international locations.
“Table tennis has a long history of bringing people together even when political ties have been tenuous,” it mentioned.
“It can build bridges, leading to better understanding among peoples, and open the door for peacebuilding in ways that exclusion and division cannot.
“The ITTF reiterates its name for peace and unequivocally condemns the struggle in Ukraine. It stands in cohesion with the folk of Ukraine and can proceed to improve the Ukrainian desk tennis group.”
The International Fencing Federation’s (FIE) determination to opposite a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes previous this month has already induced a backlash, with organizers in Germany and Denmark canceling their occasions.
Ukrainian fencers sponsored their federation’s determination to boycott competitions that includes Russians and Belarusians, whilst greater than 300 fencers signed a letter asking the IOC and FIE to rethink their determination.
The IOC issued a collection of tips on Tuesday for global sports activities federations that might permit athletes from the 2 international locations to go back since their ban closing 12 months following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus helped facilitate.
The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) mentioned on Thursday gamers from Russia and Belarus may resume competing “under strict conditions of neutrality” from May on the earliest, however can not input that month’s global championships after lacking qualifiers.
The governing frame, which is able to create its personal pointers to specify the stipulations in their participation, mentioned it used to be “acutely aware of the potential dialogues the sport can create”.
It cited the instance of ‘ping-pong international relations’, when American desk tennis gamers traveled to China in 1971 for a chain of exhibition video games which helped thaw family members between the 2 international locations.
“Table tennis has a long history of bringing people together even when political ties have been tenuous,” it mentioned.
“It can build bridges, leading to better understanding among peoples, and open the door for peacebuilding in ways that exclusion and division cannot.
“The ITTF reiterates its name for peace and unequivocally condemns the struggle in Ukraine. It stands in cohesion with the folk of Ukraine and can proceed to improve the Ukrainian desk tennis group.”
The International Fencing Federation’s (FIE) determination to opposite a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes previous this month has already induced a backlash, with organizers in Germany and Denmark canceling their occasions.
Ukrainian fencers sponsored their federation’s determination to boycott competitions that includes Russians and Belarusians, whilst greater than 300 fencers signed a letter asking the IOC and FIE to rethink their determination.