A fifth nation has joined the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Congress boycott along with Poland, Estonia, Ukraine and Norway. In an open letter, Algimantas Gudiškis, President of the Lithuanian Gymnastics Federation, said his organization would not be taking part in the Congress due to take place in Istanbul, Turkey from November 11 to 12.
The five nations have decided not to travel to Turkey for the Congress due to the organization allowing Russia and Belarus to participate despite the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russian and Belarusian troops.
“I fully support the position of the Norwegian, Polish, Estonian gymnastics federations and the gymnastics communities of other countries regarding the participation of aggressor states in the international sports movement,” he wrote. “I also support the position of European gymnastics, which has unanimously refused to communicate with the Russian and Belarusian gymnastics federations, while the brutal, genocidal Russian war is taking place in Ukraine and completely innocent Ukrainian citizens, including children, are being killed - the future of our sport.”
With just over a month to go until the meeting takes place, it was reported by Russian news agency, TASS, that the President of the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation, Vasily Titov, as well as four Russian gymnastics delegates are planning to be in Istanbul.
In addition to Titov, “There will also be four delegates in Istanbul: Valentina Nikanorova from the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation, Nikolai Makarov from the Russian Trampoline Federation, Vladislav Oskner from the All-Russian Federation of Sports Aerobics, and from rhythmic gymnastics, most likely, Evgenia Kanaeva will go,” reported TASS.
Back in March, FIG allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes the option to compete as neutral competitors in competition, but a threat to boycott international events by several nations forced the FIG to make the decision to ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes. With six nations boycotting the FIG Congress, there is a real possibility the ban will extend to Russian and Belarussian gymnastics organizations, as well.
Polish Gymnastics Association (PZG) secretary general Piotr Dec announced earlier this week Poland would not be attending stating, “As the barbaric acts against Ukrainians committed by Russia backed by Belarus are only escalating, we haven’t had any other choice but to cancel our participation in the Congress.”
At the rate things are going, it would not come as a surprise to see more countries pull out of the meeting in Turkey, but it would likely take a strong gymnastics nation, such as China or the United States, pulling out to really make a change in whether or not Russia and Belarus will still be welcome.
Últimas Noticias
Sinner-Alcaraz, the duel that came to succeed the three phenomenons
Table tennis: Brazil’s Bruna Costa Alexandre will be Olympic and Paralympic in Paris 2024
Rugby 7s: the best player of 2023 would only play the medal match in Paris
Rhonex Kipruto, owner of the world record for the 10000 meters on the road, was suspended for six years
Katie Ledecky spoke about doping Chinese swimmers: “It’s difficult to go to Paris knowing that we’re going to compete with some of these athletes”
