The 24-year-old Vladimir Sidorenko has recently been making headlines with his stellar performances on the professional circuit, climbing into the Top 15 of the World Rankings. Russian table tennis fans have even more reason to celebrate, as the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has lifted the suspension of Russian athletes.
From 28 July, Russian table tennis players will be able to compete in international competitions under their national flag without any restrictions.
“The ITTF Board has decided that athletes holding Russian passports should be reinstated and allowed to participate in ITTF table tennis and para table tennis events on the same terms and conditions as all other athletes,” the federation said in a statement.
This decision follows the ITTF’s recent move to lift the suspension of Belarusian athletes, as well as the International Olympic Committee’s recent decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games under their national flags. Many other international sports federations have lifted similar suspensions over the past year, so it was only a matter of time before Russian and Belarusian athletes returned to international competition.
“Decision takes effect from 28 July 2026, in line with IOC decision of 7 July 2026 and the ITTF Executive Board’s own decision concerning athletes with Belarusian passports,” says the ITTF statement.
It means that Team Russia’s representatives will be taking part in the upcoming 2026 European Table Tennis Championships in Ljubljana. Considering the recent performances of Vladimir Sidorenko and other leading Russian players, there is a good chance that they could win some of the medals. Sidorenko has been in phenomenal form recently, recording victories over some of the best players in the world, including Tomokazu Harimoto and Truls Moregardh. Without a doubt, he will be among the main favorites in the singles event in Ljubljana.
When it comes to the team events, the 2027 European Team Table Tennis Championships in Porto will become even more intriguing, as Team Russia will join France, Sweden, and Germany among the main favorites to win the gold medal. The Russians already reached the final in 2021, but the trio of Vladimir Sidorenko, Lev Katsman, and Maksim Grebnev is now far more experienced after spending several years competing in the German Bundesliga and the French Pro A.
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