MOSCOW, Mar 2 Russian and Belarusian athletes banned from competitions under the auspices of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), according to the website of the organization. On Monday, the executive committee of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete. The IOC added that athletes and teams from Russia and Belarus can only compete as neutral athletes. «Sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials will come into effect immediately and until further notice. They will not be invited to international competitions. National symbols, flags, colors and anthems will not be used. Please note that no tournament is currently scheduled on the territory of Russia and Belarus,» the ITTF said in a statement. Earlier, the International Football Federation, in particular, announced the complete exclusion of Russians from the competition, International Skating Union (figure skating, speed skating, short track), International Ice Hockey Federation, International Basketball Federation, International Volleyball Federation, International Rugby Council, Badminton World Federation and International Handball Federation.
