Vancouver Olympics silver medalist Yevgeny Plushenko has been banned indefinitely by the International Skating Union (ISU) as he competed without permission in exhibitions earlier this year, it said on Tuesday.

The Russian showman, who won Olympic gold at the 2006 Turin Games and also silver four years earlier in Salt Lake City, pulled out of the world championships in Italy in March citing an injury.
But he went on to perform at figure skating exhibitions in March and April, the ISU said, without asking for permission.
The ISU said on Tuesday Plushenko had not filed an appeal to their initial decision to ban him in June and so his ban was now upheld.
""The ineligibility is ongoing with no specific term. Requests for reinstatements may be made in line with ISU regulations...and are subject to a review and decision by the ISU Council,"" an ISU official told Reuters.
(Source: Reuters)