{"id":208220,"date":"2026-10-20T17:18:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:18:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/208220\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T17:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T14:18:37","slug":"nine-countries-urge-eu-to-curb-support-for-sports-bodies-easing-bans-on-belarus","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/208220\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine countries urge EU to curb support for sports bodies easing bans on Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

October 20, Pozirk.<\/em> <\/strong>Nine European countries, including Lithuania, have asked the European Commission to limit support for international sports organizations that make concessions to Russia and Belarus, Delfi <\/em>reports, citing the Lithuanian education, science and sport ministry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ministry also sided with the Lithuanian Modern Pentathlon Federation, which lost the right to host a World Cup event in Kaunas in 2027 for refusing to allow athletes from Belarus and Russia to compete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is unfair to allow athletes from aggressor countries to compete in international sports events while penalizing countries that support Ukraine by denying them the right to host events, Lithuanian officials stressed.<\/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

However, the International Tennis Federation, World Athletics and the International Skating Federation have maintained restrictions imposed in connection with Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine. Belarus\u2019 national soccer team as well as soccer clubs are also subject to restrictions, playing their international \u201chome\u201d games at neutral venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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