INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Committee (ROC) for admitting the regional organizations of four partially occupied Ukrainian territories as its own members.Russian troops
captured parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions after its February 2022 invasion and Moscow claimed to have
annexed these regions last fall.The IOC imposed sporting sanctions on Russia and its ally Belarus after Moscow launched its full-scale
military campaign in Ukraine.The IOC has suggested allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as individuals under a neutral flag
at the 2024 Olympics in Paris
It is expected to invite other countries to the Paris Games later in October.ROC chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov expressed confidence earlier
Thursday that Russia could be admitted to the 2028 Olympics.Ukraine has advocated against allowing the participation of Russian athletes,
arguing that sport cannot be separated from politics.AFP contributed reporting to this article.
