Despite Ukraine’s strong objections, it became clearer on Thursday what Russia must do to send a team to the Olympics in Paris next year. Despite a request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to completely exclude them, the International Olympic Committee indicated on Wednesday that it favors officially neutral teams from Russia and its ally Belarus at the 2024 Olympics. Russia and Belarus received invitations to the Asian Games, a crucial Olympic qualifier, a day later.
Although Russia typically competes alongside Europe, it has a contentious relationship with many of the nations that are scheduled to host qualifying events there. Since their invasion of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus have been barred from participating in nearly all international Olympic competitions.
According to Zelenskyy, he once stated to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose nation will host the Olympics, that Russia ought to have “no place” there. The IOC-organized plan is attempting to gain support from Ukraine.
Despite the fact that Russian soldiers continue to kill Ukrainian athletes due to their passports, the IOC has ignored Russian war crimes by stating that “No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport.” In a tweet on Thursday, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba wrote, “I urge all sports figures to make their stance known.”
A judo Olympic qualifier that allowed Russians to compete as neutrals last year was withdrawn from by Ukraine. Igor Levitin, an aide to President Vladimir Putin who holds influential positions in both the government and sports, praised the IOC’s plan for Russia.
Olympics in 2024
I believe it has already been a success. According to the state news agency Tass, “Olympic society understands that the Olympic Games cannot be held without Russia.” Levitin is the senior vice president of the Russian Olympic Committee. When the International Olympic Committee stated that athletes who were “actively supporting the war in Ukraine” would not be permitted to compete, some Russian officials were offended. Stanislav Pozdnyakov, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee, said on Wednesday that he opposed “any restrictions, extra requirements, or sanctions.”.
civil war case
The civil war that erupted in the former Yugoslavia during the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona was mentioned in the IOC statement on Wednesday. Due to UN sanctions, Yugoslav athletes could only compete as “Independent Olympic Participants” on an individual basis. They did not participate in team sports like basketball and soccer.
That would be more stringent than the IOC’s previous sanctions against Russia in the years following one of the most significant doping cases in sports history. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Russian athletes competed as “Olympic Athlete from Russia.” They competed at the Olympics in 2021 and 2022 under the name “ROC,” which stands for the Russian Olympic Committee, and wore uniforms emblazoned with their national colors. The Asian Games, which will be held in September and October in Hangzhou, China, serve as Olympic qualifiers for a variety of sports, including boxing and archery. Additional sports have their own Asian qualifying competitions.
In a statement, the OCA stated, “The OCA believes in the unifying power of sport and that all athletes, regardless of their passport or nationality, should be able to compete in sports competitions.”
Husain al-Musallam has held the position of director general of the OCA in Kuwait for a considerable amount of time. He is also the president of World Aquatics, which is in charge of the primary Olympic swimming sport in Lausanne, the home city of the IOC.
According to the organization’s statement, “The OCA has offered to give eligible Russian and Belarusian athletes the opportunity to participate in competitions in Asia, including the Asian Games.”