Athletes from Russia and Belarus are currently unable to compete in international competitions in most sports due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But now there is hope for them that they could participate in the Olympic Games in Paris, which will be held in 2024. And this despite the fact that the Russian regime would continue to wage war in Ukraine.
A start at the Olympics would be made possible by a proposal by the OCA, the umbrella organization of the National Olympic Committees of Asia, to be allowed to participate in its qualifying competitions for the Olympics. Russia, whose territory straddles both Europe and Asia, is traditionally considered part of Europe for the purposes of sporting events.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it would consider the proposal, which was made at the 11th Olympic Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland. According to The Guardian, he is expected to be accepted.
“During the debate, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) stated that there are no longer any grounds for the exclusion of athletes on the Asian continent. The OCA has offered to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in competitions in Asia under its auspices, while respecting the sanctions imposed,” the IOC said after the Olympic summit.
However, the committee made it clear that the sports sanctions against Russia and Belarus as countries will remain in place. This means that states will no longer be able to host international sporting events.
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The management of Czech hockey does not rule out that the WC in ice hockey could be held in the Czech Republic a year earlier than planned. The cancellation of the Volleyball World Cup in Russia may move part of the tournament to the Czech halls already this year.
Their athletes are not allowed to wear the colors of their country, playing their anthem or using other national symbols is also prohibited. Russian athletes who support the invasion of Ukraine should not be allowed to participate anyway, the Guardian points out.
The proposal is welcomed by the president of the Russian Olympic Committee, Stanislav Pozdňakov. “Something that not long ago few believed could soon become a reality,” he wrote in a telegram, predicting that Russian athletes could return to Olympic qualification “in the near future.”
Four days after the beginning of the Russian invasion, the IOC recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be excluded from competition, citing concerns about the safety and integrity of the competitions. Most Olympic sports followed suit and introduced bans.
However, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said a few days ago that the February recommendation was issued by his organization with a heavy heart and violated its principles.
According to the organization, athletes should not be excluded based on their nationality alone. Already on Wednesday, he stated that the IOC is considering the possibilities of how Belarusian and Russian athletes could return to international competitions.
According to the Guardian, French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed a similar opinion, saying: “Sports should not be politicized.” These big events are meant to allow athletes from all countries, sometimes even from countries at war, to bring the sport to life. Also the ability to find ways of discussion through sport where people can no longer talk to each other – I think that should be preserved.”
Since February, Russia has killed 184 Ukrainian athletes. And now Mr. Bach is quoting Emmanuel Macron as allegedly saying “sports should not be politicized” and athletes from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus should be treated equally. Using sports to whitewash war crimes is sickening.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) December 8, 2022
However, the return of Russian athletes to international competitions is criticized by Ukrainian officials. “Since February, Russia has killed 184 Ukrainian athletes. And now Mr Bach is quoting Emmanuel Macron, who is reported to have said that “sport should not be politicised” and that athletes from Ukraine, Russia and Belarus should be treated equally. The use of sports to whitewash war crimes is abhorrent,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter.
If Russian athletes do return to world competitions, Ukrainian athletes could boycott the events in protest, predicts the AP agency.
It refers to a past example when the International Judo Federation allowed Russia and Belarus to compete under a neutral flag, and Ukraine refused to participate, claiming that many members of the Russian team also serve as members of the military. In September, the International Judiciary Federation temporarily excluded Russia and Belarus from its competitions until January 2023.
