Ukraine’s sports minister warned on Thursday his country could boycott the 2024 Paris Olympics if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to take part.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday it was seeking a “pathway” for Russians to take part in the Games despite the invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine’s sports minister Vadym Goutzeit said such a move was “unacceptable”. “Our position remains unchanged – as long as the war continues in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be in international competitions,” Goutzeit wrote on Facebook.
“If we are not heard, I do not exclude the possibility that we will boycott and refuse to participate in the Olympics.” Russia and its ally Belarus have been sidelined from most Olympic sports since Russian forces invaded Ukraine last February.
Ignoring calls from Ukraine to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from next year’s summer Olympics, the IOC said Wednesday that a way to allow competitors from those countries to take part as neutrals should be “further explored”. The IOC said “no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport”.
Following that announcement, the Olympic Council of Asia on Thursday offered athletes from both countries the chance to compete in this year’s Asian Games. That is a significant move because they could gain qualifying marks in competition in Asia to allow them to compete in Paris.
The IOC’s stance was strongly criticised by Britain and Denmark on Thursday. Britain, which has supplied military and humanitarian support to Ukraine since the invasion began, said the IOC’s move was a “world away from the reality of war”.
Britain’s Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “We condemn any action that allows President Putin to legitimise his illegal war in Ukraine. —AFP
