The International Esports Federation, which brings together 140 national federations, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 28 August in Iasi, Romania, during the 15th World Esports Championship Finals.
110 national federations actively participated in the AGM and discussed the agenda, which consisted of 44 motions that were voted on. One of the proposals put forward by the Russian Esports Federation was the Russian athletes to compete in 2024 under their national flag and anthem.
There was no Russian team at this year’s World Championships, and no Russian delegate was present at the General Assembly. After expressing their opinions, all 70 members present took a democratic vote, which resulted in against, 32 in favour and 25 abstentions.
Representatives of the Ukrainian Esports Federation did not accept the vote and refused to meet with IESF leadership to discuss options to assist them in this difficult situation. The decision will come into for next year’s World Esports Championships, scheduled for late 2024.
The IESF team and Athletes Committee have been there to support and assist all Ukrainian players as the athletes are at the heart of what the IESF is all about. The Ukrainian teams performed well at the tournament. In CS:GO they qualified for the semi-finals.
With the athletes’ interests at heart, the IESF Athletes’ Committee did everything in its power to resolve the the unfortunate situation of the Ukrainian players and the Ukrainian Esports Federation, who informed the IESF that they would be withdrawing their teams from this year’s competition.
The IESF strongly condemns all war, hatred, political interference and discrimination. Sport offers us a unique platform for peace building and future conflict prevention. We expect all members of the World Esports Family to use this platform for positive change and to embody the IESF values of respect, unity and friendship.
The IESF will continue to strive for peace and unity, while firmly standing by all democratic processes within the organisation and, most importantly, supporting and protecting the athletes.
