(Reuters) Germany’s fencing federation has canceled a women’s foil Globe Cup occasion right after the sport’s international governing physique (FIE) reversed a ban on athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus, it stated on Thursday.

Athletes from the two nations have been banned from numerous international competitions right after Russia invaded Ukraine final February in what Moscow calls a “specific military operation.”

Additional than 60% of nations voted to let Russians and Belarusians to resume competing in FIE events at final week’s extraordinary congress.

German federation (DFB) President Claudia Bokel, a group epee silver medallist at the 2004 Olympics, stated the choice had triggered “heated discussions.”

“Our solidarity goes to the persons of Ukraine who are suffering from the war of aggression,” Bokel stated. “The German Fencing Federation accepts final Friday’s choice.

“We now want to give a clear signal that we would have liked a distinctive outcome and that we nevertheless see a substantial quantity of open implementation concerns from the globe federation, which make it not possible to carry out the tournament.”

The competitors was scheduled for Could five-7 in Tauberbischofsheim. Fencing’s qualifying approach for subsequent year’s Paris Olympics is due to start in April.

Russian Fencing Federation President Ilgar Mammadov stated he was not shocked by the DFB’s choice.

“This is not the very first nation, other people will refuse,” Mammadov, a double Olympic gold medallist in group foil, was quoted as saying by Russian news agency TASS. “I will not criticize my colleagues.

“Of course, we anticipated such choices. These nations that can’t hold competitions on equal terms will not hold them. There will be other people, they are in substantial numbers.”