Russian, Belarusian table tennis players to return as neutrals: ITTF

LAUSANNE – The world governing body of table tennis has said that it will follow the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) guidance on Russian and Belarusian players by

allowing them to compete as neutrals in international competitions.

The IOC issued a set of recommendations on Tuesday for international sports federations that will allow athletes from the two countries to gradually return since their ban in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus helped facilitate.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) said on Thursday that players from Russia and Belarus could resume competing “under strict conditions of neutrality” from May at the earliest, but cannot enter that month’s World Championships after missing qualifiers.

Table tennis is the first sport to commit to readmitting these athletes since the IOC published its guidelines.

The ITTF, which will create its own rules to specify the conditions of their participation, added that it was “acutely aware of the potential dialogues sport can create”.

It cited the example of “ping-pong diplomacy”, when American table tennis players travelled to China in 1971 for a series of exhibition games which helped thaw relations between the two countries.

“Table tennis has a long history of bringing people together even when political ties have been tenuous,” the ITTF said.

“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 call for peace and unequivocally condemns the war in Ukraine. It stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and will continue to support the Ukrainian table tennis community.”

It remains to be seen what the response to the ITTF’s decision may be.

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) went ahead with welcoming back Russian and Belarusian athletes earlier in March – before the IOC’s new guidelines were published – after more than 60 per cent of nations voted in favour of their return at its congress.

But the call has already prompted a backlash, with organisers in Germany and Denmark cancelling their events.

Ukraine has also taken a strong stance, with government minister Oleh Nemchinov saying that its athletes will not be allowed to take part in qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics if they have to compete against Russians.

Nemchinov, secretary of Ukraine’s cabinet ministers, said the government’s decision was adopted following a proposal by sports minister Vadym Huttsait and that national federations ignoring the ruling could be sanctioned. REUTERS