- The position of the Polish Fencing Federation is clear. He agreed to let athletes from Russia and Belarus in only if he signed a special declaration
- Each competitor from Russia and Belarus must declare, among other things: that it does not support the war in Ukraine, is not associated with Vladimir Putin’s regime and does not serve in the army.
- The Russians are outraged by the Poles’ attitude and don’t want to send their players to Poznan
- More information can be found at Przeglad Sportowy Onet
Until recently, athletes from Russia and Belarus could not take part in many sporting events. All this was in the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, also from the ground and with the support of Belarus. However, the International Olympic Committee has recently softened its position.
The Polish Fencing Association, in consultation with the Minister of Sports, Kamil Bortnieczuk, decided to allow athletes from the two aforementioned countries, but under one condition. Both Russians and Belarusians wishing to start will sign a special document in which the athletes will declare:
- Do not support the war in Ukraine, which is a flagrant violation of international law and international treaties
- fulfilling the conditions of neutrality, that is, they are not associated with the regime of Vladimir Putin, for whom the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant as a person suspected of committing war crimes in Ukraine
- are not soldiers or do not work in the Russian or Belarusian military or national security bodies.
The head of the Russian Fencing Federation, Ilgar Mamedov, is outraged by this approach. “They promote human rights and freedom of expression in Europe, but where is it here?” – he asked rhetorically in an interview with TASS. “Speaking against your country is freedom of speech?” All this is a pure provocation, because they do not want to see us, which is why they came up with such provocative terms, ”he adds. So the Russians will not come to Poznan.
“The Polish FA has forgotten that it is a sports federation, not a political one”
In his opinion, the Poles had not thought of everything. – The Polish Federation forgot that it is a sports federation, not a political one. Unfortunately, everything is mixed up. This is precisely a political statement, Mamedov says, and has nothing to do with sports.
He also reported that he had asked the International Fencing Federation (FIE) to put pressure on the Polish federation. Five days ago we sent a letter regarding our admission to the International Fencing Federation. The decision is up to them.
Notably, several countries, including Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and Sweden, have canceled international fencing events following the FIE’s controversial decision last month to allow fencers from Russia and Belarus to compete under a neutral flag.
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