July 13 (Reuters) - The International Table Tennis Federation executive board on Monday confirmed the reinstatement of athletes holding Russian passports, permitting them to compete in international events from July 28.
Individual and team events in ITTF table tennis and Para competitions are covered by the decision. It aligns with the International Olympic Committee executive board decision on Tuesday which provisionally lifted the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and noted that previous restrictions on Russian athletes were no longer applicable.
The ITTF said the decision mirrored its recent steps to reinstate Belarusian players.
Governing body officials noted that the decision did not override host-country visa restrictions, local laws, or sanctions on regimes, nor did it affect existing IOC jurisdiction regarding Olympic Games requirements such as flags, anthems and national symbols.
"The ITTF reaffirms its solidarity with the Ukrainian table tennis community and recognises the profound impact that the ongoing war has had on Ukrainian athletes," the federation said in a statement, adding that its support for Ukraine remained unchanged.
(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon)
