Moscow:   The All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF) has petitioned the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) requesting that 16 national track and field athletes be allowed to take part in the international competitions under neutral status, an official said.

The Russian athletics body earlier filed six similar petitions with the world's governing body of track and field athletics, reports Tass.

"The IAAF Taskforce asked us (ARAF) to file requests regarding each athlete individually," Alexander Parkin, the head of the ARAF anti-doping department, said in an interview with Tass on Tuesday

"Besides the six previously forwarded requests, we have filed 16 more of them with the IAAF," Parkin added.

A total of 41 Russian national track and field athletes submitted their requests with the IAAF asking for permission to compete in international competitions in the status of neutral athletes.

In early January, the IAAF issued criteria, which Russian track and field athletes should meet in order to file applications for participating in international competitions as neutral athletes. All applications must be submitted with the IAAF via ARAF.

--IANS