Norway fears financial penalties from FIG after withdrawing as Congress host
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Loading... - muhammed mohammed
- 15 Aug 2022
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It was announced last Wednesday (July 28) following an emergency NGTF Board meeting that Sandefjord, a port famous for its whaling industry, would no longer be staging FIG’s key meeting after the world governing body told the Norwegians they had to allow Russian and Belarusian participants.
NGTF President Torgeir Røinås Pedersen claimed that they had warned FIG shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that they would withdraw if Russian and Belarusian officials were eligible to take part.
"After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, it appeared completely unacceptable to receive delegates from Russia and Belarus in Norway," he said.
"This was clearly communicated to the FIG, and it was also made clear that we would have to withdraw from the event if the FIG did not follow through on declaring these delegates as undesirable during the Congress.
"Even though sport wants to be politically independent, the abuses committed by the nation of Russia are so brutal and unacceptable that sport must also contribute to highlighting the injustice that is being committed.
"We find it difficult to understand that athletes are being excluded, at the same time as these regimes' representatives are supposed to sit as decision-makers and shop stewards in our International Federation."
NGTF secretary general Mona Kristiansen has warned that, as well as losses incurred by preparing for the Congress before withdrawing, they fear being punished by FIG.
"We have fought for and looked forward to holding this Congress, so this has been difficult," NGTF secretary general Mona Kristiansen told Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen. Read More…
