(Reuters) Germany’s fencing federation has canceled a women’s foil Globe Cup occasion immediately 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 had been banned from numerous international competitions immediately after Russia invaded Ukraine final February in what Moscow calls a “particular military operation.”

Far more 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 selection had triggered “heated discussions.”

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

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

The competitors was scheduled for May possibly five-7 in Tauberbischofsheim. Fencing’s qualifying method for subsequent year’s Paris Olympics is due to commence in April.

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

“This is not the initial 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 huge numbers.”