The Russian Igor Levitin has resigned from the European Table Tennis Association ETTU because of his homeland’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
This was announced by the ETTU on Wednesday after an emergency meeting of the executive committee called under pressure from several national associations such as the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB). For the time being, Deputy President Pedro Miguel Moura (Portugal) will lead the association.
With his temporary resignation, which the Belarusian ex-European champion Vladimir Samsonov joined as vice president, Levitin presumably forestalled a demand for his resignation. However, the German ETTU Vice-President Heike Ahlert reported to the SID after the executive session that Levitin had announced the legal challenge to the exclusion of Russian activists and officials not only in table tennis.
Boycott announced by Borussia Düsseldorf
The 70-year-old ex-military was elected to the ETTU leadership about a year and a half ago. Since Russia’s ex-transport minister took office, the financial situation of the continental association had improved considerably – thanks to numerous new sponsorship contracts, primarily with Russian companies.
The advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was born in Odessa, Ukraine, will also not be performing his duties on the Continental Council of the world association ITTF for the time being.
The further course of the season in the two Champions Leagues is still open. Although the decisive semi-final duel in the men’s competition between the Russian clubs Fakel Orenburg with the German Olympic bronze medalist Dimitrij Ovtcharov and UMMC Jekaterinburg was already postponed to April because of the war, defending champion Borussia Düsseldorf with record European champion Timo Boll announced before his semi-final Second leg on Thursday against last year’s finalist 1. FC Saarbrücken (first leg: 3-0) announced a boycott of the finals in the event that the finals were re-entered.
“It is completely unthinkable for us to play against a team from Russia in this situation,” said Düsseldorf manager Andreas Preuss to “SID”.
Women’s Champions League final in doubt
Because of a Russian title sponsor, the holding of the finals in the women’s premier class (April 3rd and 8th) between last year’s winner TTC Berlin Eastside and the Polish representative KTK Tarnobrzeg is also in doubt.
Despite the threat of sanctions, Berlin’s manager Andreas Hain wants to tape up advertising boards from Russian companies during the second leg and ban all ETTU representatives from the halls until they distance themselves from the donors from Russia.
Despite threats from the previous ETTU management to cancel a five-figure victory bonus and to exclude the Berliners from future ETTU competitions, Hain is seeking an agreement with Tarnobrezg’s management on the same course of action.