The International Handball Federation has lifted all sanctions against Russia and Belarus

The International Handball Federation (IHF) has lifted all sanctions on Russia and Belarus imposed after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The federation itself announced this.

Now the Russian and Belarusian national teams, as well as lecturers and experts, can again participate in all IHF tournaments and events without additional restrictions. Before the athletes return, the federation, together with the International Testing Agency (ITA), must only conduct doping tests.

The decision comes after the International Olympic Committee last week reversed its 2023 recommendations to allow Russian athletes to compete in international competitions in a neutral status. Since then, each federation has been free to decide whether to maintain sanctions or not.

In March 2026, the IHF allowed youth teams from these countries to hold friendly matches and tournaments, provided they can prove they are not affiliated with military or security forces. In May, the federation also allowed a Russian or Belarusian team to be invited to participate in the Womenʼs World Cup.

• Russian athletes were banned from international competition in February 2022, following the start of Russiaʼs full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At the time, the International Olympic Committee recommended that sports federations remove Russians from tournaments.
• On March 28, 2023, the International Olympic Committee allowed Russians to compete in “neutral” status — without a flag, anthem, or national symbols. The exceptions were active service members of the Russian army and athletes who supported the war.
• At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Russians and Belarusians were allowed to compete only in individual sports. At this year’s Winter Olympics, 13 “neutral” Russians competed.

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