It was announced last Wednesday (July 28) following an emergency NGTF Board meeting that Sandefjord, a port famous for its whaling industry, would no longer be staging FIG’s key meeting after the world governing body told the Norwegians they had to allow Russian and Belarusian participants.

NGTF President Torgeir Røinås Pedersen claimed that they had warned FIG shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that they would withdraw if Russian and Belarusian officials were eligible to take part.

"After Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, it appeared completely unacceptable to receive delegates from Russia and Belarus in Norway," he said.

"This was clearly communicated to the FIG, and it was also made clear that we would have to withdraw from the event if the FIG did not follow through on declaring these delegates as undesirable during the Congress.

"Even though sport wants to be politically independent, the abuses committed by the nation of Russia are so brutal and unacceptable that sport must also contribute to highlighting the injustice that is being committed.

"We find it difficult to understand that athletes are being excluded, at the same time as these regimes' representatives are supposed to sit as decision-makers and shop stewards in our International Federation."

NGTF secretary general Mona Kristiansen has warned that, as well as losses incurred by preparing for the Congress before withdrawing, they fear being punished by FIG.

"We have fought for and looked forward to holding this Congress, so this has been difficult," NGTF secretary general Mona Kristiansen told Norwegian online newspaper Nettavisen.

"We ban athletes from competing, and then we believe that the managers should also be banned.

"With our value base, it would be completely wrong to welcome them to our country as things are now.

"This is extremely difficult.

"There is going to be a big financial loss here, but we don't quite know what the result will be yet.

"There may be fines and sanctions, in addition to lost income we would have received by holding the Congress.

"There is great financial uncertainty associated with this."

Up to 450 delegates from more than 150 countries were expected to attend the Congress.

"We thought it was completely wrong that the athletes should be affected by the situation and not those in political office," Kristiansen said.

"We have made many rounds, but for us it would be wrong to welcome them to our country as the situation is now."

FIG have now reallocated the Congress to Istanbul, where it is scheduled to take place on November 11 and 12.

Kristiansen admitted that the NGTF have considered not going to Turkey’s biggest city for the Congress, but now expect to take part so they can voice their protest at Russian and Belarus officials being allowed by FIG to take part.

"We have talked about not leaving, but at the same time it is important to get our message across," she told Nettavisen.

"Either we abstain, or we go to the podium and say what we feel about the situation."