The Federal Republic of Germany will not host the fencing World Cup stage due to the Russians’ permission

Germany refused to host the women’s rapier fencing World Cup after allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete.

The competition was supposed to take place on May 5-6 in Tauberbischofsheim.

According to the head of the Fencing Federation of the Federal Republic of Germany, Klaudia Bockel, the permission to participate in the competitions of Russians and Belarusians sparked heated discussions both inside and outside the organization. “There are still a number of open questions that made holding the tournament impossible,” Bokel noted.

The International Fencing Federation made a decision on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the competitions on March 10. The organization emphasized that fencers who are not involved in supporting the war against Ukraine will be able to participate in the competition in a neutral status. The decision on admission will be made individually.

At the same time, India allowed Belarusian and Russian athletes to compete at the World Women’s Boxing Championship in New Delhi under its flags and national symbols.

• Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from participating in many international competitions after Russia’s attack on Ukraine.
• In January 2023, the IOC offered to allow them to compete if they did not speak out for the war in Ukraine and do not use doping.
• In February 2023, 35 countries, including Great Britain, declared that they still supported the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, also urged not to allow Russians to the Olympics, noting that their mere presence would be a “manifestation of violence and lawlessness.”
• In December 2022, the US Olympic and Paralympic Committees, as well as IOC President Thomas Bach, spoke in favor of the admission of Russians and Belarusians to the 2024 Olympics under neutral flags.

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