Germany refused to host the World Fencing Cup due to the admission of Russians and Belarusians

The tournament was scheduled for early May.

The German Fencing Federation (DFB) has refused to host the Women’s Foil World Cup. This was reported by the press service on the federation’s website.

The German Fencing Federation decided to refuse to host the World Cup after an extraordinary meeting of the International Fencing Federation (FIE). It was decided to return athletes from Russia and Belarus to international tournaments.

The lifting of sanctions against Russian and Belarusian fencers comes into effect in mid-April, and the Women’s Foil World Cup is scheduled to begin on May 6, 2023, in the German city of Tauberbischofsheim. Thus, these competitions were to be among the first to implement the FIE’s decision.

According to DFB President Claudia Bokel, the decision to cancel the Women’s Foil World Cup in Germany was the result of a long discussion. The president also noted that the German Fencing Federation made a “difficult decision” and took away the opportunity for the athletes to perform in front of their home public.

“The discussions of the last few days following the decision of the FIE Congress to allow the participation of Russia and Belarus again have sparked heated debate both inside and outside the country,” the DFB President said.

“As before, we remain in solidarity with the people in Ukraine who are suffering from the war of aggression. The German Fencing Federation now wants to send a clear signal that we would have liked a different outcome and that we still see a large number of open issues that make the tournament impossible.”

“As much as we would like to present our best athletes to the German public and give them the opportunity to use the home advantage on their way to the Paris Olympics, the circumstances force us to make a difficult decision,” said Claudia Bokel.

After the refusal to host the Women’s Foil World Cup, the German Fencing Federation will discuss Olympic qualification with athletes and coaches in the wake of the FIE’s decision regarding Russians and Belarusians.

Earlier, the UK government called on the Olympic sponsors to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee to prevent Russians and Belarusians from competing in Paris in 2024. This is one of the significant measures of influence on the IOC. As previously reported, it is the financial interest in sponsors, as well as the unwillingness to lose advertising revenue, that is one of the many reasons why international sports organizations continue to cooperate with criminal authoritarian regimes.