The Lithuanian Badminton Federation (LBF) has said it does not approve of the Badminton World Federation’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to international competitions from next February.
The BWF has announced that players from the two countries, who have been banned due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, will be able to compete as neutral athletes.
“We are certainly against it, as is the entire European Badminton Confederation,” LBF Secretary General Tadas Ivanauskas has told BNS.
There are many aspects that the international federation would have to resolve in order for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be able to compete, according to him.
The BWF has said the first steps toward reintegrating Russians and Belarusians will start this September.
“We feel the decision to lift the suspension on Russian and Belarussian athletes who meet the criteria to participate as individual neutral athletes is a positive step forward as part of our endeavour to promote peace and solidarity,” said BWF President Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen.
Ivanauskas noted that despite the BWF’s decision, countries will be able to decide at the national level whether or not to allow these athletes to participate in competitions.
The International Olympic Committee is yet to decide if Russians and Belarusians will be able to compete at next year’s Paris Olympic Games.
However, the IOC recommend earlier this year that they could compete in Olympic qualifying events under a neutral flag.
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