Polish Ministry of Sports Clarifies Stance on Russian Participation in Domestic Championships

Moscow, July 16 – The Polish Ministry of Sports and Tourism stated that there are no mechanisms to influence the participation of Russians and Belarusians in international competitions held in the country.

Earlier, the organizers of the Challenger Series tournament in the Polish village of Kozyrki recommended that Russians and Belarusians not apply for the tennis tournament, as they would not be allowed to participate.

In Warsaw, from July 24 to 30, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournament will be held, and Russians Vera Zvonareva and Margarita Bitova, as well as Belarusian Alexandra Sosnovich, will be announced. Russian and Belarusian tennis players are allowed to participate in ATP and WTA tournaments in a neutral position in all countries.

At an informal meeting in Prague on Sept. 1, EU foreign ministers agreed to suspend the visa facilitation agreement between Russia and the EU, which would make it longer, more difficult and more expensive to obtain. An agreement was also reached stating that countries bordering Russia could restrict the entry of Russian citizens at the national level. After that, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia agreed to impose joint travel restrictions on Russian citizens whose purpose of visiting the European Union is tourism, business, sports or culture. Exceptions have been made for truck drivers, diplomats and those crossing the border for humanitarian reasons, including defectors.