{"id":208080,"date":"2026-10-19T18:06:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/208080\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T18:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T15:06:52","slug":"poland-detains-belarusian-karate-athletes-who-came-on-tourist-visas","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/208080\/","title":{"rendered":"Poland detains Belarusian karate athletes who came on tourist visas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 19, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Polish border guard officers briefly detained 11 Belarusians and four Russians who came to Poland to participate in the World Karate Championships for Cadets, Juniors and U21 held on October 14\u201318 in Bielsko-Bia\u0142a, Gazeta Wyborcza<\/em> reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The athletes entered Poland on tourist visas, which did not correspond to the \u201cstated purpose of their stay,\u201d said Szymon Mo\u015bcicki, spokesman for the Silesian Border Guard Unit. They have been given eight days to leave Poland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polish Karate Union President Pawe\u0142 Po\u0142torzecki said organizers had received an advance warning that representatives of Belarus and Russia might try to compete in the tournament on tourist visas despite existing bans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Belarusian state-run media had previously announced that 25 Belarusian athletes would travel to Bielsko-Bia\u0142a to compete in the championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On May 7, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifted recommendations that international federations and international sports event organizers restrict the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes. Ukraine expressed protest and disappointment with the IOC decision, stressing that it contradicted the fundamental principles of justice, responsibility and Olympic values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Russia launched a full-scale war on Ukraine with the help of authorities in Minsk in February 2022, the IOC urged sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from all competitions. Later, it recommended that some of them could be allowed as neutral athletes under certain conditions, such as not supporting the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All restrictions on Belarusian athletes have been lifted by the international governing bodies for karate, gymnastics, fencing, cycling, dance sport, billiards, water skiing, boxing, sailing, muay thai, modern pentathlon and volleyball, as well as the International University Sports Federation, under whose auspices the Summer and Winter World University Games will take place in 2027.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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