Belarusian Tennis Federation considers possibility of appealing to court of Switzerland

On February 9, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected the appeal of the Belarusian Tennis Federation (BTF) against the decision of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to suspend its membership in the organization. Now the BTF is considering the possibility of appealing to the Swiss court, said the head of the federation Sergei Rutenko during a press conference, writes Sputnik.

Rutenko drew attention to the fact that as soon as the BTF announced its intention to publicize the results of the proceedings, it immediately received a negative reaction from the ITF.

"They threatened us, tried to forbid us to do it. This is another argument showing their self-confidence and arrogance," emphasized the head of the federation.

According to him, even after the suspension of the Belarusians, the ITF continued to demand annual fees. This was another impetus not to remain silent, but to publicize the case materials.

"The appeal filed by the Belarusian Tennis Federation against the decision of the ITF board has been rejected. The decision made by the board of the International Tennis Federation is confirmed. We are considering the possibility of filing an appeal to the court in Switzerland," specified Rutenko.

International Tennis Federation (ITF) has not given permission to organize junior (under 18) and professional tournaments in Belarus since the second half of 2020. The organization believed that the situation in the republic was unsafe for foreign participants.