Abu dhabi: The global body for taekwondo has decided to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international tournaments, the organization's website showed Sunday. This decision aligns with a similar move by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

According to Yonhap News Agency, World Taekwondo (WT) made this announcement following its extraordinary council meeting in the United Arab Emirates. The decision allows junior and senior athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their respective national flags.

The organization also clarified that existing restrictions will remain unchanged. These include the ban on Russia from hosting international sports events and the prohibition on issuing accreditation to Russian government officials.

WT stated that the decision is consistent with the IOC's choice to permit Russian and Belarusian youth athletes to participate in the Dakar 2024 Youth Olympic Games under their national flags.