CNN
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Poland’s state-owned airline LOT refused to board Russian tennis participant Vitalia Diatchenko according to restrictions launched following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the service mentioned in a press release to CNN on Wednesday with out naming her.
Diatchenko was denied boarding a LOT flight departing from Cairo on Monday as she was touring to Calvi in Corsica by way of Warsaw and Good to play at a match.
The airline confirmed to CNN that it “couldn’t settle for a citizen of the Russian Federation on its flight,” citing the restrictions launched by Poland’s inside ministry in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic and up to date in March 2020 following the Ukraine invasion.
“The provisions of the regulation introduce restrictions at sure border crossings, together with airport crossings, in relation to residents of the Russian Federation touring from outdoors the Schengen space,” the airline mentioned.
Diatchenko instructed CNN on Wednesday that she was unable to succeed in her vacation spot after being denied flying attributable to her Russian passport and is now again in Moscow.
In line with Reuters, the 32-year-old additionally mentioned she tried to buy a ticket from German airline Lufthansa however was suggested that she might solely enter the Schengen space via Spain which had issued her visa. CNN was not capable of independently confirm this.
Tennis has been some of the distinguished sports activities which has continued to welcome Russian and Belarusian athletes at worldwide competitions regardless of the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) government board’s preliminary suggestion in February 2022 that they be banned.
However in January 2023, the IOC outlined a multi-step plan for Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part on the upcoming 2024 Summer time Video games in Paris and the 2026 Winter Video games in Milan, which was met by criticism from the US, Canada and a number of other European nations, together with the UK, Germany and Poland.
In line with the most recent IOC suggestions launched in March, athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should compete solely as particular person impartial athletes, meet all anti-doping necessities whereas those that assist the battle or are contracted to army or nationwide safety businesses can’t compete.
IOC president Thomas Bach defended the most recent suggestions citing tennis for instance that participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes “works” regardless of the battle.
Bach additionally blasted some European governments as “deplorable” for what he calls their “damaging reactions” to the group’s stance on Russia
