Table Tennis England stands with the international sporting community in condemning the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Until further notice, England will not field teams against Russia or Belarus in any table tennis team competitions across all age groups.

Furthermore, individual Russian and Belarussian athletes, coaches, and officials, except for those who are current members of Table Tennis England and permanently reside in the UK, are banned from all Table Tennis England organised, regulated, or affiliated competitions until further notice.

We welcome the International Table Tennis Federation decision – acting on the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee – to not invite Russian or Belarussian athletes or officials to any ITTF Group events until further notice. We also welcome the support for this decision announced by the European Table Tennis Union.

We call on the ITTF and ETTU to take the following further action:

• Strip Russia and Belarus from hosting any international table tennis events, including WTT events, with immediate effect, and until further notice
• Expel Russian and Belarussian officials from any positions held within the ITTF and ETTU, with immediate effect
• Cease any sponsorship arrangements with Russian and Belarussian companies with immediate effect, and likewise, any other income from Russian and Belarussian sources

This announcement follows a meeting between our Government and representatives from across the UK sporting landscape, including Table Tennis England.

These are horrific times for the people of Ukraine, and we stand with them and with the international sporting community to do what we can to bring peace to the region.