Guardian: London asked Olympic sponsors to put pressure on the IOC over the admission of the Russian Federation
Official London asked major sponsors of the Olympic Games to put pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to prevent Russian athletes from competing. The Guardian newspaper became aware of the tricks of the British authorities.
Culture Minister Lucy Fraser has asked the British leaders of the IOC’s international partners, including Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung and Visa, to put pressure on the IOC for a possible relaxation of the ban, the newspaper notes.
“Until our concerns and a significant lack of clarity and specific details regarding a workable model of ‘neutrality’ are resolved, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to compete,” the head of the British Ministry of Culture said in a letter.
On February 25, six European countries signed a declaration against the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to tournaments. The States that have made the declaration include the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia and Poland.
On January 25, the IOC announced that it was considering the possibility of individual admission to competitions for Russian and Belarusian athletes. It was noted that only athletes who did not support the conduct of a special operation in Ukraine and did not violate anti-doping rules will be able to get permission to compete in international tournaments.
Source: Lenta
Kingston 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.
