MINSK, 1 February (BelTA) – Many Russian athletes are very strong and can bolster any national team. However, it will be difficult to implement Russian MP Yevgeny Fyodorov's idea who suggested that Russian athletes could compete for Belarus, Chairman of the Belarusian Athletics Federation Vadim Devyatovsky told BelTA.
“First of all, the athlete should be a resident of the country from one to three years in order to change the citizenship. The time can be reduced if it is agreed with the All-Russia Athletic Federation (ARAF). The International Athletics Federation will not be against it. No one, however, has addressed our federation with such a proposal yet. Representing Belarus in the international sports arena without the Belarusian citizenship is impossible,” stressed Vadim Devyatovsky.
Russian MP Yevgeny Fyodorov suggested that the Russian athletes, who have not been implicated in the use of prohibited substances, but cannot take part in international competitions due to the disqualification of the ARAF, could join the Belarusian national team. The Russian MP posted the comment on his official website. “The Russian athletes have been suspended from international competitions over the doping scandal.
That happened not because there were evidence-based facts, but because of the bias in some heads. We have the Belarus-Russia Union State and I consider both Minsk and Moscow as my homeland. The elite sport means prestige and the national flag of the country. It is not about the promotion of mass sport. Training of professional athletes requires huge investment. If athletes are given the opportunity to perform show good results at international tournaments, this will be a victory of my homeland,” Yevgeny Fyodorov said.
The Council of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) suspended the ARAF's membership in November 2015 for an indefinite term. The decision was taken in the wake of Richard McLaren's report on doping violations in Russia.
