May 13, Pozirk. The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has lifted all restrictions on the participation of Belarusian national teams in its tournaments, the Belarusian Volleyball Federation (BVF) reported.
The BVF cited a letter from FIVB President Fabio Azevedo. The decision, based on recommendations from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), applies to both volleyball and beach volleyball teams.
The BVF welcomed the move and said it expected the European Volleyball Confederation to follow suit.
Belarus’ youth teams have been allowed to participate in FIVB events since January 1.
Some federations have complied with the IOC recommendation, while others have kept restrictions in place.
For instance, World Boxing and the pentathlon governing body, the UIPM, have lifted all restrictions on Belarusian athletes. Meanwhile, the International Tennis Federation and World Athletics have maintained restrictions imposed in connection with Russia’s war against Ukraine and the Belarusian regime’s role in it.
Yesterday, during a meeting in Brussels, eight European Union sports ministers voiced opposition to the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in European sports events, saying it could create security and public-order concerns, Polskie Radio reported.
The Polish sports minister said that “there is no place for the national symbols of the aggressor countries at international competitions.” Poland’s position was supported by Estonia, Finland, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Sweden.
The IOC recommended lifting all restrictions on Belarusian athletes on May 7. On February 28, 2022, days after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the IOC urged international sports federations to ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from competitions. One year later, it recommended allowing only individual neutral athletes to compete without displaying their countries’ flags or other national symbols.
