MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Russian eSports Federation President Dmitry Smit told TASS on Friday he hoped that Ukraine would not scrap its membership in the International Esports Federation (IESF).

The Ukrainian Cybersports Events Federation (UCEF) announced earlier that the organization’s executives would convene for a session on September 1 to discuss the potential withdrawal of Ukraine’s membership in the IESF following the global organization’s decision to allow Russian athletes to compete in tournaments under their national flag.

"It is extremely disappointing to see how politics prevails over sports," Smit said. "By making this decision, our colleagues will severely limit the opportunities for their athletes to gain competitive experience and prove themselves in the international arena."

"We sincerely hope that our colleagues will not resort to taking this step and we will be able see Ukrainian athletes competing at the World Championships and other official tournaments," he added.

The International Esports Federation announced its decision on August 28 to reinstate Russian teams’ right to compete under their country’s national flag and to the tune of their national anthem. The decision was based on balloting in which 32 delegates voted in favor, 13 voted against, and 25 abstained.

The press office of the Russian eSports Federation stated earlier that the IESF opted against accepting a proposal from the Ukrainian Cybersports Events Federation (UCEF) to ban Russia’s membership in the international organization. "Participants [in the 2023 International e-Sports Federation Congress] decided to turn down Ukraine’s proposal regarding Russia’s suspension from the IESF," according to the organization’s statement.

The IESF previously ruled on April 18, 2022 to strip Russia’s e-athletes of their right to participate in international tournaments under their country’s national flag and anthem.

On August 29, Dmitry Kuzmenko, Ukrainian coach of the PUBG Mobile team, announced that the Ukrainian national team had decided to withdraw its cyber-athletes from all events at the IESF 2023 World Esports Championship Finals, which is being hosted by Romania.

According to the official IESF website, the 2023 World Esports Championship Finals "officially kicked off on August 25 with a grand Opening Ceremony at the Palace of Culture in Iasi, Romania."

A record 111 countries from six continents have qualified to compete "for national pride and the coveted WE Championship trophy. The competition will conclude on September 4."