INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The International Fencing Federation (FIE) has cleared Russian and Belarusian professional athletes to complete as neutrals in upcoming
European and world group championships, state media reported Wednesday.The FIE, led by Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov since 2008,
was among the first sports federations to lift a blanket restriction enforced after Moscows 2022 major intrusion of Ukraine.Despite the FIEs
choice, Russian and Belarusian fencers did not take part in the qualifiers and were absent from the 2024 Paris Olympics.State-run news firm
TASS reported that the athletes will be eligible to complete under the FIE flag at the European Championships in Italy in June and the World
Championships in Georgia in July.Russian Fencing Federation President Ilgar Mamedov invited the relocation however warned that Russia would
send out a weakened team due to ongoing restrictions.We hope the next action will be full admission of all fencers still unable to complete,
in addition to their coaches, Mamedov informed TASS.The FIE previously allowed Russian junior fencers to compete as neutrals at last months
