Russia-Ukraine war: IOC recommends ban on participation of Russian, Belarusian athletes
Switzerland, February 28: The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday, issued a release recommending a ban of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competition.
The recommended ban on participation by the IOC comes because of a “breach of the Olympic Truce” by the Russian government and the government of Belarus. Notably, Belarus has supported Russia in its offensive against Ukraine.
To maintain the integrity of global sports tournaments and the safety of all the participants, the IOC EB recommended that the International Sports Federations and sports event organisers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.
"Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus. Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed," the statement by IOC read.
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"The current war in Ukraine, however, puts the Olympic Movement in a dilemma. While athletes from Russia and Belarus would be able to continue to participate in sports events, many athletes from Ukraine are prevented from doing so because of the attack on their country," it continued.
The IOC's urgent recommendation that no international sporting events be held in Russia or Belarus indefinitely was also reiterated in the press release.
The IOC has decided to "withdraw the Olympic Order from all those who have a significant involvement within the Russian government," according to the release. Russia's president, Vladamir Putin, Russia's deputy prime minister, Dmitry Chernyshenko and Russia's chief of staff, Dmitry Kozak, were mentioned in the release.
Despite the IOC's recommendation that Russian and Belarusian athletes be banned, the IOC praised the athletes from both nations for actively advocating for peace in the midst of the war.
The IOC Executive Board further expressed its solidarity with the Ukrainian Olympic Community.
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-PTC News
