In the recent weeks, the ITF faced some private and individual statements of a few ITF practitioners and instructors regarding the possibility for ITF practitioners from Russia to participate in the ITF events and for the ITF allowing IICs to take place in Russia. Recently, the ITF also received a letter from one of its member federations (The Netherlands) endorsing a statement that was made by two of its affiliated members.
With this institutional statement, we intent to show the more detailed and nuanced position of the ITF in this matter.
We find it important to start by referring to the Fundamental Principles of the ITF enshrined in the ITF Statutes. Amongst these principles, as you all know, it is stated that:
“The ITF is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.”
When we deal with sport activities in the framework of human rights, the Charter of the Olympic Committee states the following:
“The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have access to the practice of sport, without discrimination of any kind.”
This human right to practice sport applies to every Individual, regardless of the political circumstances in their country and regardless of any acts that are committed by their government in as much as any other person may have the right to condemn or criticize the acts of same government. The individuals in same country still may enjoy the participation and practice in sport as a human right. A clear and very distinctive line must be drawn between the acts of governments and the acts of individuals. Therefore, let it be clear, anyone who maintains the opinion that individual ITF Practitioners should be expelled or suspended from the ITF activities intents to deprive those Athletes from their basic human rights just because of the acts of their state or the government leading their states.
And indeed, to be clear and prevent such situations, the ITF Statutes continue in stating:
“The ITF is neutral in matters of politics and religion.”
And it goes further in stating:
“Discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group of people on account of race, skin colour, ethnic, national or social origin, gender, disability, language, age, physical appearance, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, wealth, birth or any other status, sexual orientation or any other reason is strictly prohibited and punishable by suspension or expulsion.”
Based on these fundamental principles that in short aimed at the distinction between sports and politics, also the Olympic movement and many international sport governing federations went to allow Individual Athletes from Russia to participate in the Olympic games under certain conditions. These conditions aimed at districting between the individual and the acts of their government.
Under same basic principles, except for a few countries, most of the European countries (including The Netherlands), allow the entrance of Russian citizens for the purpose of tourism or international sport activities if the conditions for the participation of Russian Athletes are respected
While the ITF respects the own personal opinion of each ITF practitioner on the matter, the ITF as an international sport organization, considering its responsibilities and duty towards all its members and practitioners, maintains a different position from the one of these individuals with respect to the right conduct of the ITF and the decisions that were taken following the war in Ukraine.
Therefore, the core values of the ITF (as is the matter with all other sports, or at least as it should be) is of a clear distinction between sport and politics. Sport and sport activities, especially in international federations where there are also members form different conflicted countries or regions, should act as a bridge for goodwill and understanding, creating contacts, and not separations.
We in the ITF, strongly believe that we should not, and legally cannot, punish our practitioners (most of them youngsters and including also practitioners with special needs) for the behaviour of their country or the leaders of their country, which is in essence what the holders of the different opinion suggest and ask directly or indirectly.
If we assume, in a hypothetical case and in the current dynamic geo-political situation, in which any of the countries from which the criticism is heard, will declare or start a war against another country, they – our same practitioners – would not have supported a situation where they and their students would have suffered expulsion or suspension from the ITF just because of the behaviour of the politicians and leaders of their country. Would they agree then to be punished? Would they like their students to be punished?
If one believes that by punishing the thousands of youngsters and other practitioners of ITF in Russia, we will succeed to bring a change in the conduct of the leaders of Russia, we beg to differ. This was also not the case, as we know, with the Olympic movement and many other important and sometimes bigger and stronger sport organizations. Many of them realised that the attempt of putting pressure on Russia by practically punishing the athletes and clubs from Russia was a mistake and went back and changed their decisions. Like most of the Olympic movement we adopted officially the same decision on participation of Russian ITF Practitioners in our competitions.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the ITF Board of Directors has constantly monitored and reassessed the situation, with the involvement of our members in Ukraine in particular. We take this matter very seriously. We are in constant dialogue and will continue to do so.
Since February 2022, we have had a total of 36 Board meetings, 25 of which were held via Zoom and eleven in person, and the situation in Ukraine was an item on the agenda at almost all meetings. In addition, an ad hoc team was set up, which is also in constant dialogue and reports to the Board of Directors. For 3.5 years now, we have shown enough sensitivity to master this situation and will continue to do so.
This is why at the first days of the war, while the whole world was under the shock and impact of the military acts of Russia, the ITF decided that:
“For the time being, and until any further decision will be adopted,” Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials would not participate in ITF competitions or activities at any level. This decision was also based on the practical conditions that made it impossible for the ITF practitioners to participate in the ITF events and for ITF senior instructors to go to Russia and teach in IICs. Yet, neither the ITF national federation of Russian and Belarus were not expelled nor suspended from the ITF, as was the case in all or most of the other sport organizations worldwide.
The time since the war started and the change of attitude that went back to respect the principle of a clear distinction between sport and politics, and a clear distinction between the acts of a country and the rights of the individual citizens of the same countries to enjoy the right to participate in sport activities led also the ITF to adopt the decision on the right of Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the ITF events subject to the conditions that were decided. This official decision was taken by the ITF Board of Directors – the governing body to take such a decision – almost one year ago before the World Cup 2024 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The terms of the decision are as follows, and they will be assessed before each event on a case-by-case basis, mainly because the ITF Russian and Belarusian Athletes need to be allowed to enter the country of the competition and may be subject to restrictions that are not under the authority of the ITF or its members:
Conditions for the participation of individual neutral participants from Russia and Belarus at the World Cup or World Championships (WC) in XXXXX:
1. The organizer must give their written consent that individual neutral athletes, coaches, referees, officials, parents and other accompanying persons from Russia & Belarus may participate and attend the WC.
2. The consent form, being a pre-condition for the participation at the WC, will include a declaration stating that the competitor will distance themselves in all respects from any political statements or actions. This declaration must be signed and handed to the TUI Committee at registration.
For the purposes of these conditions the term “Political Statements or Actions” mean:
Any acts during the days of the WC, starting from the moment of arrival of the participants to the country where the competition will take place and until their departure from the same country, either inside or outside the site of the competition, at the hotels, any public areas as well as in the transportation, airports etc. This includes any public statements or activities published on social media or any other channel exposed to the public“
Travelling spectators/supporters who are non-ITF members will also be subject to this condition, however in the case of non-compliance local security forces will be asked to intervene.
3. Further conditions:
- No participation in team events
- No flags, banners or stately symbols, only the official ITF neutral flag can be used
- White dobok and Track Suit – also without state symbols, signs, country flag, insignia, or country lettering on the back (design must be approved by TUIC in advance)
- No playing or singing of the national anthem
- One flagbearer carrying the official ITF neutral flag will be allocated to march during the opening and closing ceremonies and lining up with the other flagbearers. This condition may be amended (including being cancelled or allowing the marching of individual neutral athletes) by the ITF Board at any time up to 15 days before the opening ceremony.
In the event of non-compliance, the organizer or host reserves the right to immediately exclude such people from the event and if necessary local security forces will be asked to intervene.
All the ITF members can rest assure that all the legal and other implications and concerns of the matter were duly considered in deciding the ITF actions with respect to the war in Ukraine. The ITF very well assessed its way of conduct that was indeed supported clearly by the majority of our members that answered the survey that was conducted by the ITF on this very specific issue.
We, the ITF, must always remember that we have members also from other conflicted countries and regions and we welcome them all to our events and are happy to see that when it comes to the ITF activity, they all collaborate in peaceful and good relations, totally disconnected from the geo-political situation. This is how it should be.
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