FIG President Morinari Watanabe pleads for delegates to be open to Russian and Belarusian officials’ opinions at Congress

Amidst the continuous boycott of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Congress next month, the president of the organization has released a statement asking delegates to be open-minded in regards to Russia and Belarus taking part in the meeting.

The Japanese official, Morinari Watanabe, used the most recent FIG bulletin to explain the reasoning behind seven nations choosing not to partake in the Congress this year. Each nation has shared they will not attend due to the presence of Russian and Belarusian officials. The nations are showing their support for Ukraine who was one of the first to refuse the invitation.

In addition to Ukraine not attending, Poland, Estonia, Norway, Lithuania, Italy and, most recently, the Netherlands have chosen to withdraw from the event. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has recommended athletes and officials from both Russia and Belarus be excluded from events, but the IOC’s recommendation has not covered elected Russian and Belarusian officials.

Despite opposition from several nations, Russian and Belarusian officials were both present at the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in the South Korean capital of Seoul last week.

In the bulletin, Watanabe says, “When you are elected as a member of an international organization, your position is not related to your country of origin. Basically, you are in a neutral position. If that basic policy is not respected, international organizations cannot exist.”

He went on to say, “Above all, international organizations must make efforts to maintain, not to put an end to, relations with Russia and Belarus. As an international organization, the FIG will convey our views to its Russian and Belarusian officials. And we, the FIG, must also listen to their opinions.

While some nations disagree with this notion, there are still 130 countries registered for FIG Congress in Istanbul on November 11 and 12. Watanabe hopes to continue making improvements to international gymnastics with the help of each country’s delegates moving forward.

“After the war, we must all be one team again. Otherwise, we cannot create a bright future.”