Published By: Ritayan Basu
Last Updated: March 27, 2023, 17:44 IST
International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach (Reuters)
IOC had sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine however is now reluctant to exclude their athletes from the Olympics totally
Russian and Belarusian athletes ought to be banned from the 2024 Olympics in Paris until Moscow pulls its forces out of Ukraine, in accordance to Poland, Britain and the Baltic states, regardless of the IOC saying it plans to allow them to compete as neutrals.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) sanctioned Russia and Belarus after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 however is now reluctant to exclude their athletes from the Olympics totally for worry of a return to the boycotts of the Cold War period.
It set out a pathway in January for rivals from Russia and Belarus to earn Olympic slots by means of Asian qualifying and to compete as impartial athletes in Paris subsequent 12 months.
“We strongly imagine that now shouldn’t be the time to contemplate the opening up of a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to the Olympic Games in any standing,” the Polish international ministry mentioned in a press release issued collectively with Britain, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Neutral athletes are not considered to be representing their nations and their successes are not accompanied by the flying of flags or playing of national anthems.
The President of the IOC Thomas Bach has said that the body cannot be a referee in global political disputes. However, the plan has faced opposition, with Germany and others coming out in favour of maintaining the ban.
“While the IOC has made no final decisions yet, we strongly urge it to reconsider its plans and return to the original well-proven stance supported by the international community,” the Polish assertion mentioned.
“We remind that Russia and Belarus have at their disposal a means ahead for his or her athletes to return to the worldwide sports activities group, specifically ending the struggle of aggression launched by Russia with complicity of Belarus and restoring respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity inside the internationally recognised borders.”
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(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed)
