Representative photo.
Highlight
- The decision came even as a World Cup was taking place in Cairo where Russian shooters were competing.
- The ISSF statement now indicates that they will no longer be able to continue in the event
- Incidentally, the ISSF is currently led by a Russian pair including billionaire chief Vladimir Lisin.
The International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) has banned shooters from Russia and Belarus from all its events due to the invasion of Ukraine, sparking a global outcry.
The decision came during the World Cup in Cairo, Egypt, where Russian shooters were competing till Tuesday. The ISSF statement now indicates that they will no longer be able to attend the event.
“After the relevant decision of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and meeting with the IOC President, the ISSF decided that athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus will not be allowed to participate in the ISSF Championships,” the ISSF said.
“This decision came into force on March 1, 2022 at 16.00 CET (8.30pm IST) and is valid until further notice,” it added.
Incidentally, the ISSF is currently led by a Russian pair – billionaire President Vladimir Lisin, one of Russia’s richest men, and Secretary General Alexander Ratner.
The move is in line with a directive from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) prompting dozens of sports governing bodies to exclude Russian athletes and officials from international competitions.
The IOC stated that this action was necessary to protect the integrity of global sporting events and the safety of all participants.
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week, the IOC Executive Board recommended on Monday that international federations and organizations “do not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials” in the competition.
Belarus is sanctioned to support the Russian invasion. Lissin has been leading the ISSF since November 2018, when he defeated Italy’s Luciano Rossi by 148 votes to 144 votes.
According to Forbes, 65-year-old Lisin, who has an estimated net worth of USD 26.7 billion, is the chairman of Russia’s largest steel maker Novolipetsk Steel, besides rail freight operator First Cargo, port facility operator UCL Port and shipping company VTBH. , ISSF Secretary General Ratner is also the President of the European Shooting Confederation.
Russia has already been stripped of hosting rights for the 2022 European Shooting Championships, which were to be held in Moscow in August, and there is uncertainty over whether the country will be able to host the next ISSF World Championships.
The world event is scheduled for August 2023. The ISSF is one of several international sports organizations, including football’s apex bodies FIFA and UEFA, and the International Hockey Federation (FIH), which ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in its events due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. .
(PTI reports)