Germany threatened to deny visas to Russian athletes

German Interior Minister Nancy Feser threatened to deny visas to Russian athletes. Her words are quoted by the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung.

“Countries hosting major sporting events are not powerless. They can, through the visa departments, influence whether the Russians will really participate, ”she said. Feser noted that if competitions are held in Germany, the state will be able to determine the composition of the participants.

At the same time, the politician opposed the boycott by German athletes of competitions with the participation of Russians. “This will be detrimental to our athletes who have long been committed to achieving sporting goals,” she stressed.

On March 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that Belarusians and Russians who did not support the SVO be allowed to compete in a neutral status. At the same time, athletes from Russia and Belarus associated with the armed forces or security agencies of their countries are recommended to be suspended from participating in tournaments.

At the end of February 2022, most sports organizations suspended the national teams of Russia and Belarus on the recommendation of the IOC. In some disciplines, such as motorsport, cycling, tennis, boxing, MMA and chess, Russians play in a neutral status.