BWF suspends Russian Federation over membership violation

Published at :November 30, 2023 at 11:01 PM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 1:20 AM

(Courtesy : The Times of India)

Russian players to continue participation as nuetral athletes.

In a significant development in the international badminton community, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) has decided to suspend the membership of the National Badminton Federation of Russia (NBFR). This decision was taken at the BWF Council meeting that took place on 11 November 2023.

The NBFR was found to violate the conditions of BWF membership. The violation pertains to the inclusion of territories within its jurisdiction recognized by the international community as falling under the jurisdiction of another member. Specifically, these territories are Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia, all of which are located in Ukraine.

This suspension is not yet final and will be subject to confirmation by the membership at the 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chengdu, China. This means that the final decision on the suspension will be made by the collective membership of the BWF at the AGM.

Despite the suspension, Russian players will still be able to participate in sanctioned tournaments. They will do so as ‘individual neutral athletes’. This is a significant move that ensures that the athletes are not unduly affected by the decisions of the federation. The BWF also plans to modify its procedures to allow these players to register directly for tournaments.

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It’s worth noting that this is not the first time that the BWF has taken such a decision. Earlier in March and April, it maintained its ban on the NBFR. This shows that the BWF is committed to upholding its conditions of membership and will not hesitate to take action when these conditions are violated.

This development clearly indicates the BWF’s commitment to ensuring fair play and adherence to international norms in the sport of badminton. It also underscores the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its members. At the same time, it highlights the BWF’s concern for the welfare of the athletes, as evidenced by the provision for ‘individual neutral athletes’.

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