FISU Clears Belarusian Student Athletes to All Competitions

The Executive Committee of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) has decided to immediately reinstate student-athletes holding Belarusian passports to its competitions. The corresponding announcement was published on the official FISU website, BELTA reports.

The decision to reinstate the Belarusians was made in accordance with the International Olympic Committee's recommendations of May 7, 2026. As for Russian student-athletes, the situation is more complex. The IOC has not lifted its restrictions on older Russian athletes, but recommends that younger athletes not be held accountable for the actions of their governments. Furthermore, an increasing number of international federations are lifting restrictions on top-level Russian athletes, while others are maintaining them.

In this regard, FISU has adopted a unified selection system for Russian student-athletes. According to this system, the direct exclusion of Russians based solely on their nationality is considered disproportionate and incompatible with FISU's educational mission. The condition of neutrality is participation without national symbols.