A week ago, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) admitted that it was examining the possibility of participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024. “No athlete should be excluded from competitions just because of his passport.” The authorities want to allow citizens from the invader country to compete, but under certain conditions. It’s about performances under a neutral flag, the participation of only those who respect the Olympic Charter. . The idea of the IOC was not liked by, among others, Ukrainians, who announced that in the case of Russians and Belarusians, they would withdraw from the event.
Oleg Matytsin’s clear position on Ukraine’s statement. “These words are destructive”
– If we are not listened to, I do not rule out that we will refuse to participate in the Olympic Games – Mykhailo Podolak, an adviser to the President of Ukraine, spoke even more strongly about the idea of the IOC. He directly suggested that the organization “promotes Russia’s anti-human policy” and then added that the Russian presence at the Games would be “a platform for promoting genocide” for Moscow.
Now the Minister of Sports in Russia, Oleg Matytsin, has spoken on the matter. The politician revealed that he was pleased with the IOC’s initiative and hoped that Ukraine’s statement would not discriminate against athletes from his homeland.
– I have a decidedly negative opinion about such statements as the one presented by Ukraine. These words are destructive and hurt international sport in general. We believe that any boycott is a dead end for the development of the sport. Moreover, it is harmful not only today, but also has negative, long-term effects. I hope that sport will consolidate in today’s conditions and no one will try to discriminate against our representatives. I believe that the Russians will have the opportunity to participate in international competitions, stressed the Russian minister.
Ukraine is not the only country that has announced a boycott of the Olympic Games if compatriots of Vladimir Putin and Alyaksandr Lukashenka are allowed to start. The second country is Latvia. – Our position remains unchanged. If the Games were to take place in a few days and athletes from Russia and Belarus would take part in them, we would not go to such Games – .
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The Summer Olympic Games in Paris will run from July 26 to August 11, 2024. The opening and closing ceremonies will take place at the Stade de France in Paris.
Source: Sport.PL
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
