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IBU refuses to reinstate Russian Biathlon Union’s full rights

In December 2017, the IBU Executive Board made a decision to limit the rights of the RBU with the international organization due to numerous doping abuse allegations

© Mikhail Tereshenko/TASS

POREC/Croatia/, September 7. /TASS/. The International Biathlon Union (IBU) refused to reinstate full rights of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU) in the global organization, according to a decision at the IBU Congress in Croatia’s Porec on Friday.

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IBU Congress may brush aside reinstatement of Russian Biathlon Federation’s full rights

"The IBU Congress has voted against the Russian Biathlon Union’s application for full IBU membership. As a result the RBU remains a provisional member of the IBU," the organization said on its website.

Some 29 members voted against and another 20 voted for reinstating the RBU’s full rights.

The Congress, due to be wrapped up on September 9, will also elect its new president. The candidates for the post are Olle Dahlin, a current executive board member and chairman of the Swedish Biathlon Federation, and Baiba Broka, president of the Latvian Biathlon Federation. Norwegian Anders Besseberg, 72, who has led the IBU since the organization’s founding in 1993, won’t be re-elected to a new term.

In December 2017, the IBU Executive Board made a decision to limit the rights of the RBU with the international organization due to numerous doping abuse allegations. The RBU was particularly stripped of the right to vote at the IBU Congresses and nominate its candidates for the executive posts in the global organization.

If the RBU’s full membership were reinstated, it would have the right to vote at the Congress. IBU Vice President Viktor Maygurov earlier told TASS that Russia still could not nominate its candidates for the IBU top posts.

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