Dhe Russian foil fencers are not coming to Germany for the time being. The World Cup in Tauberbischofsheim at the beginning of May has been cancelled. So that the athletes from the country of the warmonger Putin cannot come to Germany. A high price.
With the news of the cancellation on Thursday, the German Fencing Federation (DFB) gave the impression that it was in opposition to the world association FIE. According to the press release, Claudia Bokel, the President, and her association wanted to “send a clear signal that we would have preferred a different result and that there are still a large number of open implementation questions from the world association, which would make it impossible to hold the tournament”.
What is meant is the decision of the FIE on Friday to lift the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus despite Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine. With a two-thirds majority, the federations of the FIE decided to admit fencers from Russia and Belarus to international competitions such as the Tauberbischofsheim World Cup.
However, the State Sports Association of Baden-Württemberg wanted to prevent the appearance of Russian athletes in the state. He coordinated with politics and sport to close the hall in Tauberbischofsheim to the fencers. He has the domiciliary rights, he is the owner. Before he could pronounce the ban, the fencing association canceled. It would be a miracle if he hadn’t found out about the efforts of the State Sports Association.
Fierce discussions
When asked by the FAZ whether they thought the FIE’s decision was wrong and whether the President, contrary to initial impressions, voted against the admission, Bokel and Fechterbund replied on Thursday: “The President’s attitude towards fair and clean sport, also before against the background of their Russia-critical opinion, is well known. Nevertheless, voting secrecy applies, which we ask you to respect. Like the DOSB and the federal government, we do not consider re-admission at this point in time to be expedient.”
At the weekend, the DFB announced that its president was watching the discussion in the world association with interest. Now he is writing about heated discussions, both internally and externally. It is currently inconceivable for the DFB presidium to implement the decision, although it accepts it, it said on Thursday. Circumstances made a decision other than canceling the competition impossible.
LSB President Jürgen Scholz, Mayor of Sersheim, says it is important to show a clear edge. He would have dropped the tournament if the association hadn’t withdrawn now. He can probably do that more easily than colleagues who may soon be faced with the question of how to deal with other sports when associations want to send them Russian athletes to events. “They are desperately looking for solutions,” says Scholz: “The simplest thing would be not to give the Russians visas.”