Port Hercules (Monaco), Feb 6 : The World Athletics' Doping Review Board (DRB) approved the applications of six Russian athletes to compete in international competition as neutral athletes (ANA) while the Russian national federation (RusAF) will remain suspended, the athletics governing body said on Monday. The RusAF has been suspended from World Athletics since 2015, due to doping violations, and therefore is not eligible to host World Athletics events or send teams to international championships. Last year, the World Athletics Council imposed sanctions against the Member Federations of Russia and Belarus as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine and said that Russian athletes, who have received ANA status for 2022, are excluded from World Athletics Series events for the foreseeable future. "The DRB considered and approved the following applications under rule 3.2 of the eligibility rules for exceptional eligibility to compete in international competitions until the World Athletics Council Meeting in March 2023 as a Neutral Athlete (ANA), to the extent such competitions are open to athletes from Russia," World Athletics said in a statement. "Any athlete who was granted ANA status for the 2022 season may continue to compete until Council's decision," it added Eligibility rule 3.2 states that: "The Council (or its delegates) may exceptionally grant eligibility for some or all International Competitions, under conditions defined by the Council, to an athlete whose Member Federation is currently suspended by World Athletics, if (and only if) the athlete is able to demonstrate to the comfortable satisfaction of the Council." The six athletes who have now met the exceptional eligibility criteria are: Nikita Anishchenkov (high jump), Artem Chermoshanskiy (long jump), Maksim Pianzin (Pyanzin) (race walking), Nikita Kurbanov (high jump), Danil Chechela (long jump), Marina Kovaleva (long distance) /IANS