International Table Tennis Federation Lifts Ban on Russian Players Ahead of LA 2028 Qualification

NEW DELHI: The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) on Monday announced that athletes holding Russian passports would now be allowed to participate in table tennis and Para table tennis events.

ITTF’s decision comes in the backdrop of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lifting restrictions on Russian athletes and allowing them to compete in team events and qualifying competitions for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The IOC’s guidance to reintegrate Russians in international events, though, is not binding for the governing bodies of individual sports.

Track and field has already said it will not follow suit, and there is no sign yet of changes which could let Russia return to major football events like Euro 2028 or a future World Cup.

The ITTF said in an online statement that it made the decision to ensure all athletes are treated equally and that any restrictions on participation are necessary, fair and objectively justified.

The ban on Russian athletes was imposed in October 2023, more than 18 months after the invasion of Ukraine, when the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) decided to include sports organisations in annexed territories as members. Agencies

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