WRTC 2026

[4L5A]

WRTC 2026 Referees

Callsign	Name
4Z5LA	Ros
AC0W	Bill
CE2SV	Dale
CE3CT	Roberto
DF5RF	Gernot
DL5AXX	Ulf
EA5KA	Raul
EA8BW	Anton
EI6JK	Mark
EY8MM	Nodir
F6AGM	Michel
G2NF	Tony
G3NKC	Dave
G3WW	Dez
G4PVM	Paul
GM4ZUK	Allan
HB9CAT	Marco
IK1HJS	Carlo
IK3QAR	Paolo
IK4UPB	Gabriele
IT9RGY	Gabriele
K0EJ	Mark
K1KI	Tom
K2PO	Bill
K4QPL	Jim
K9CT	Craig
KC7V	Michael
N3QE	Tim
N3UA	Sejo
N7WA	Mike
N8VW	Pat
NF4A	Charlie
NP4G	Otis
OK2PTZ	Tomas
OM3GI	Jozef
ON5RA	Pascal
PA3AAV	Gert
S50A	Tine
S53ZO	Simon
SP4Z	Wieslaw
SV5DKL	Stathis
UA9MA	Gennadii
VA2WA	Victor
VO2AC	Chris
W0YK	Ed
W1VE	Gerry
W6NV	Oliver
WC1M	Dick
YL1ZF	Kaspars
YT7AW	Goran

[4L5A]

Discrimination against Russian participants at WRTC 2026
On February 28, Vice President Roman Thomas (R5AA), a member of the WRTC Sanctioning Committee (WRTC SC), received a draft appeal from the organizers of WRTC 2026 (United Kingdom) to Russian participants, the text of which is provided below.
"We look forward to seeing you at WRTC 2026.
As in the Olympic Games, most participants represent their countries. However, Russian citizens can only participate as neutral individual participants.
To do so, we ask you to agree that:
• You will participate in the competition representing your qualifying zone XXX, and not as a representative of Russia or any state organization.
• You will not use flags, symbols, clothing, or messages associated with Russia or supporting the war in Ukraine.
• During the event, we ask all participants to refrain from making statements or taking actions related to the war.
• This agreement is private with the organizers. No public statements are required.
Participants from other countries will represent their countries as well as their qualifying zones and may use their national flags.
These measures are intended to ensure that WRTC 2026 remains friendly, respectful, and focused on radio sport, in line with similar decisions taken by the International Olympic Committee.
If you agree to participate under these conditions, please confirm this in your reply. Thank you for your understanding.
73,
Lee G0MTN
On behalf of the WRTC 2026 Organizing Committee
SRR Vice President Roman Thomas (R5AA) has sent the following letter to all WRTC-SC members, as well as to the presidents of IARU and IARU-R1:
"Dear colleagues,
I would like to express my strong disagreement with the position of our British colleagues.
Although we like to refer to the WRTC as the equivalent of the Olympic Games, we understand that in essence it is not. First and foremost, we represent our national amateur radio organizations, which are full members of the International Amateur Radio Union. The RSGB is a member of IARU Region 1. I would like to ask you all to note that the IARU has already made a clear statement on this issue. Please take the time to read the statement by the President of IARU-region 1, which states that the organization is apolitical and that any discrimination against representatives of any country, including Russia and Belarus, is unacceptable.
As you know, the Paralympic Games are about to start, and the Olympic Committee has agreed that athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under their national flags, and if an athlete wins, the national anthem of their country will be played.
IARU-Region 1 is the organizer of world championships and competitions in such face-to-face radio sports as speed telegraphy and fox hunting (ARDF). Athletes from Russia and Belarus compete in these competitions as part of their national teams under their own flags.
I would also like to draw the attention of WRTC members who are citizens of the USA to the latest statements by President Trump and to the fact that our two countries are currently moving closer to a reassessment of the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
We are all participants in the amateur radio movement, which is represented at the international level by the International Amateur Radio Union, not the International Olympic Committee.
Given the fundamental nature of the issue, I will immediately bring the statement by the British organizers of the WRTC to the attention of the President of the IARU and the President of IARU Region 1, as this issue cannot be considered behind closed doors.
Yes, I remember our discussion before the previous WRTC, but the situation is changing dynamically.
If the decision of our British colleagues remains unchanged, the Russian national organization will recommend that Russian athletes refuse to participate in these competitions.
Let's leave politics out of the amateur radio community.
The position expressed by RRF Vice President Roman Thomas (R5AA) on the substance of the issue raised was supported by IARU President Timothy Ellam (VE6SH) and IARU-R1 President Silvian Azaryan (F4GKR).
At its meeting on February 28, 2026, the RRP Presidium supported the position of Vice President Roman Thomas (R5AA) and decided to exclude WRTC-2026 from the ECP and recommend that Russian athletes refuse to participate in these competitions in conditions of direct discrimination against the use of Russian national symbols. If the organizers of WRTC-2026 change their position, the Presidium will return to consider this issue.

[4L5A]

The WRTC 2026 Organising Committee would like to clarify the topic of national identification for the WRTC 2026 event. The 2023 event held in Italy recognised the changing situation around the world with regards to national identification and implemented a balanced approach given a number of factors.

After very careful review, and consultation with the WRTC Sanctioning Committee, noting that the qualification process is by Qualification Area (not DXCC), the OC decision is to maintain the approach of Italy 2022 (2023). No national identities, flags or emblems are permitted at WRTC 2026 and teams enter as their QA or given team name as given on the WRTC 2026 website at the below link.