Bach called Poland’s refusal to issue visas to Russian fencers real discrimination
The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, condemned Poland’s refusal to issue visas to Russian fencers. His words are quoted by RIA Novosti.
“It all goes against what we are fighting for. Most athletes support or at least respect what we are doing now. I want to thank them for this,” Bach said, calling the refusal to issue visas real discrimination.
On March 14, TASS reported that Poland would not issue visas to Russian foil fencers to participate in the World Cup, which is a qualifying competition for the 2024 Olympic Games. The tournament was supposed to be held in Poland from 21 to 23 April, but it was moved to Bulgaria.
In March, the International Fencing Federation allowed Russian athletes to participate in tournaments in a neutral status. Later, the organization denied entry to many athletes, including Olympic champions Yana Yegoryan, Sofia Velikaya, Sofia Pozdnyakova and Olga Nikitina.
Source: Lenta
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