INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday rebuffed a Russian need that its professional athletes be treated the like those of other
countries, in a growing row over Russian and Belarusian participation in the 2024 Paris Games
The sanctions versus the Russian and Belarusian state and governments are not negotiable, an IOC representative said.The debate had
intensified because the IOC stated last week it was analyzing a path for Russians to compete in Paris, most likely as neutral professional
athletes instead of under their national flag.That triggered a furious reaction from Kyiv, with a Ukrainian presidential aide implicating
the IOC of being a promoter of war
Ukraine threatened to boycott the Paris Games if Russians were permitted to take part.On Tuesday, Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the head of Russias
Olympic Committee, argued for full participation
Russians must participate precisely on the exact same conditions as all other athletes
Any additional conditions or criteria are unwanted, specifically any that have political overtones, which are entirely unacceptable for the
Olympic movement, Pozdnyakov stated, according to Russian news agencies.Russia and its ally Belarus, which permitted its territory to be
utilized as a launchpad when Moscow started its offensive in Ukraine last February, have been sidelined from many Olympic sports given that
the conflict began.Pozdnyakov stated his organization welcomed efforts by the IOC to allow Russian athletes to contend
But when it comes to extra conditions, we highly disagree
The Olympic Charter specifies that all athletes must get involved on an equal footing, he added.The IOC rapidly pressed back saying the
sanctions against Russia and Belarus had actually been all confirmed by the current Olympic summit conference on Dec
Those sanctions consisted of no flag, anthem, colors or any other recognitions whatsoever of these countries being displayed at any sports
occasion or meeting, including the entire venue , stated the IOC spokesperson.Ahead of the IOC action, Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky said Russias involvement in the Paris Olympics would total up to revealing that fear can apparently be something appropriate
Last week, Zelensky said he had actually invited IOC president Thomas Bach to visit the frontline Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, so that he can
see for himself that neutrality does not exist
Ukraines Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated on Monday that of the 71 medals that Russian rivals won at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 45 went
to athletes who were members of the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army, or CSKA
The army that devotes atrocities, eliminates, rapes, and loots, Kuleba said
This is whom the ignorant IOC wants to put under (the) white flag allowing (them) to complete
Latvias Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Tuesday his country opposed any participation of Russian athletes at the Paris Olympics,
saying it would be unethical and wrong
After a conference with his counterparts from the Baltic states and Poland in Riga, Rinkevics called for Russia to be isolated as long as it
continues its offensive in Ukraine
As all tyrannies do, it uses sports for political purposes
IOC ought to not end up being complicit in Russian propaganda efforts, Rinkevics said.The Olympic Council of Asia, however, last week
provided Russian and Belarusian professional athletes the opportunity to compete in this years Asian Games, arguing that all professional
athletes, despite their citizenship or the passport they hold, need to have the ability to compete in sports competitions
That was a substantial relocation due to the fact that it would allow athletes from those 2 nations to accomplish certifying standards they
would need to contend in Paris.The IOC restated recently that the worldwide federations for each Olympic sport were the sole authority for
its worldwide competitions
