Poland, Ukraine and the Baltic states reiterated on Monday their call to maintain the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Olympics, saying “not a single reason” existed to lift the restrictions.
“There exists not a single reason to move away from the exclusion regime for Russian and Belarusian athletes set by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) more than a year ago,” Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia said in a statement co-signed by Ukraine.
The joint stance was published by the foreign ministries on the eve of the IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne beginning Tuesday, where the issue of Russian athletes will be discussed.
“We strongly believe that now is not the time to consider the opening up of a pathway for Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to the Olympic Games in any status,” the statement said.
“We strongly urge it (the IOC) to reconsider its plans,” the ministries added.
With the Paris Olympics less than 500 days away, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said in January it wants to continue its ban “on flag, anthem, colours or any other identifications” from the two countries.
But it added that it was seeking a pathway to let their athletes compete provided that they have “not actively supported the war in Ukraine”.
Ukraine’s staunchest allies, however, slammed the IOC for the efforts to bring Russians and Belarusians into international competitions, with Estonia hinting at a possible boycott of the 2024 Summer Games in Paris should Russians be allowed to participate.
World Cup News
-
FIFA World Cup
/ 3 days agoRights groups demand release of jailed Qatar World Cup ex-staffer
Human rights groups on Wednesday called for the release of Abdullah Ibhais, a former...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 2 weeks agoNew Jersey governor says 2026 World Cup will be ‘incredibly safe’
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Sunday promised the 2026 World Cup will be...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 3 months agoSaudi oil giant Aramco agrees major FIFA sponsorship deal
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Aramco and world football governing body FIFA on Thursday...
By AFP -
FIFA World Cup
/ 4 months agoSon scores but Thailand hold South Korea in World Cup qualifier
Son Heung-min scored but South Korea were held 1-1 at home by Thailand in...
By AFP