The European Fencing Championships for adults, which were supposed to take place in the Estonian capital Tallinn in 2026, are under threat of disruption. This was reported by Err.ee, informs UNN.
Details
It is noted that the International Fencing Federation requires a written confirmation from the host country that all athletes will be able to participate in the tournament and cross the border regardless of citizenship and military rank. However, the Estonian authorities refuse to sign such a document.
According to Raido Mitt, Vice-Chancellor of the Estonian Ministry of Culture for Sports, the country cannot confirm that all those wishing to participate in the European Championships will be able to cross the border. He added that the government's position is unequivocal: visas are not issued to athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus, there is zero tolerance, and there will be no exceptions.
After a recent visit of the European Fencing Confederation delegation to the Ministry of Culture, it became clear: without fulfilling this requirement, the tournament may be moved to another country. According to Aivar Paalberg, Secretary General of the Estonian Fencing Union, the organizations were given to understand that Estonia might lose the right to host the European Championships. There is no official decision yet, but the Estonian Fencing Union assumes that the tournament in Tallinn will not take place next year, Paalberg added.
It is indicated that Tallinn was chosen as the venue for the European Championships last autumn at the European Fencing Confederation congress in Budapest. 24 out of 42 participating countries voted for the candidacy of the Estonian capital, which won the competition against Yerevan.
Recall
14 Russian athletes were banned from entering Latvia for an indefinite period.