Badminton's governing body paved the way Wednesday for Russian and Belarusian players to return to competition as neutrals after they were banned over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. It comes with the Paris Olympics just over a year away and sports federations grappling with what to do about athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus. Badminton World Federation (BWF) barred Russian and Belarusian players in March last year and in April extended the ban as Moscow's assault on Ukraine stretched into a second year.