Boycotts and demarches due to the admission of Russia: what is happening to the world of fencing

The exit of domestic athletes to international starts is still in question

Russian fencers were allowed to start by the decision of the Congress of the International Fencing Federation. But those who voted against are not going to give up. To them, Congress is not Congress. As expected, boycotts are being prepared, competitions are being canceled in protest. Will the FIE stamp its foot to defend the decision of Congress? Will there be a black mark for those who refuse to allow our swordsmen to fight? And even for this, he is ready to deprive all athletes of starts.

Yes, the FIE allowed Russia and Belarus to take up swords, rapiers and sabers for international competitions. Voted: suspended athletes can now compete in individual and team tournaments. Allowed officials, coaches and medical personnel to all competitions. And it seems to have made decisions in such a convincing way: 89 countries were in favor of it, and 46 were against it. The advantage is almost twofold. The question immediately arose: what does this permit for sports life have in store for our athletes? Is it a victory or an expectation of victory?

The first start should take place in Poland in the second half of April: the Foil Foil World Cup in Poznań. Already – difficulties. Polish leaders of different directions, and sport not only does not lag behind, but runs in the forefront, rapidly plunging into the denial of Russia everywhere and everywhere. So far, however, the Poles have not made any official statements. They say we will think. And the Polish Fencing Federation is waiting for clarifications: for example, determining the neutrality of athletes admitted to competitions, without which, as the federation believes, it is impossible to make a decision on the issuance of entry visas by the authorities. The organization confirms that it is ready to host the World Cup stage, but does not exclude the possibility of refusing to hold it. If they don’t like the explanation.

At the FIE congress, the issue of boycotts, as the president of our fencing federation Ilgar Mammadov said, was discussed: there is a punishment for discrimination. And the country that hosts the World Cup should not indicate: these citizens come, and these – stay at home. True, so many laws and procedures have already been violated for the sake of the removal of our athletes, that in reality everything can be different. They just won’t give you a visa. And what will FIE do? The International Federation once again, like the IOC, will call on countries not to interfere in sports? And the stage has already passed, goodbye, I left.

The German Fencing Federation did not wait for any explanation: it canceled its stage of the World Cup in May. The real stage of selection for the Games in Paris will now not take place in Germany at all. For nobody. All athletes were slashed with one blow.

The President of the German Fencing Federation, Claudia Bokal, said a lot about this. She stated that it was unthinkable to allow Russia and Belarus to speak. And the organization wants to send a clear signal that it “would like a different result (vote) and that we still see a lot of open questions on the implementation of the FIE decision that makes the tournament impossible.”

Can an International Federation give a stage to another country? Theoretically, yes. There is no official decision on the stage yet, the negotiation process between the FIE and the national federations has been re-launched.

Following Germany, because of the admission of our athletes, Finland also refused the fencing tournament. True, she did this without prejudice to the selection of her athletes for the Games: she canceled the category B tournament, which is not a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Olympics. Such a number turned out to be indicative.

Finland’s tough position on the removal of our athletes and their own, who play for Russian clubs, has also been noted more than once. The most recent information is that the team’s star Tuomas Määttä did not make it to the bandy team. The reason is his performance in Russia. The World Championship starts at the end of March in Sweden, the competition has not been held since the pandemic. At the last World Cup, the Finns were third after Russia and Sweden. It would seem – gather all the strongest and rush forward, yearning for the struggle, and there is no Russia …

The Fencing Federation of Ukraine went the furthest: it decided not to participate in competitions under the auspices of the International Fencing Federation at all. Neither the athletes nor the judges. In addition to the boycott, she intends to come to grips with agitation against the performance of our athletes. There is room for imagination here. Ukraine also plans to appeal against the decision of the FIE Congress on the return of Russian and Belarusian fencers to international tournaments.

Injections also come from the USA. Like a video with famous athletes: I am against the participation of Russia. It’s like going out on the tracks with stripes in the color of the Ukrainian flag (it was at the Grand Prix in South Korea). True, the International Fencing Federation reacted to this immediately: it forbade the teams to resort to Ukrainian symbols.

Will our athletes eventually be allowed to deliver sports kicks and injections? And will the FIE be able to cope by being the first to decide on the return of our athletes? Will he be afraid of threats and loud promises of boycotts? It is necessary, after all, not only to quickly find replacements for tournaments, but over and over again to designate a tough position: there is a decision of the Congress on the admission of Russia and Belarus, it must be implemented. And, perhaps, then it will be contagious not the example of refuseniks, but, for example, the federations of Korea and Georgia. At the very end of April, the World Cup stage is hosted by Seoul, and in May – Batumi. And the organizers have already told the FIE that they have nothing against the performance of the Russians.