MOSCOW, January 11. /TASS/. The Council of the world’s governing body for taekwondo, World Taekwondo (WT), has ruled to extend the term of neutral-status participation for Russian athletes, the federation’s press office said in a statement on Thursday.

"The Council unanimously approved the participation of Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) in World Taekwondo recognized competitions with immediate effect, as long as the athletes have already been declared eligible at World Taekwondo promoted competitions in line with IOC recommendations," the statement reads.

"The Council agreed that AIN who had already fulfilled the eligibility criteria to compete in promoted competitions should therefore be eligible to compete in recognized competitions as well," the statement added.

Last April, World Taekwondo ruled to permit athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate under a neutral status in tournaments authorized by the organization.

In March 2022, World Taekwondo suspended all athletes representing Russia and Belarus from international tournaments authorized by the international organization.

The decision followed recommendations issued by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on February 28, 2022 to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international events, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

On March 28, 2023, the IOC recommended that international federations allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a neutral status, while they would not be able to take part in team events. Athletes also should not be supporters of the special military operation or be affiliated with the armed forces or national security agencies.