Fencing chief opts to defer duties

Russian-Uzbek billionaire Alisher Usmanov has dismissed criticism from Ukraine of his appointment as president of the International Fencing Federation (FIE), but has voluntarily suspended his duties, his spokesperson told Reuters on Dec. 4.

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Usmanov, who is under European Union and United States sanctions and a travel ban following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was elected FIE president on Nov. 30, returning to a post he held from 2008 until 2022.

The Ukrainian Fencing Federation expressed outrage at his re-election under what it said was a pre-written script. Portraying the decision as an "illegal and immoral" act, it said it would take further action following consultations.

"Alisher Usmanov is an oligarch close to the Russian dictator (President Vladimir Putin), subject to international sanctions," Ukraine's Sports Minister Matviy Bidny said on social media.