The world should put pressure on the IOC and federations to prevent the return of athletes from Russia and Belarus
Former first racket of Ukraine, and now a soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a volunteer Sergei Stakhovsky explained why it is so important to prevent the return of athletes of the Russian Federation and Belarus to international competitions.
“Our president gave the right message. To allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Olympics is to allow the flag with blood on the platform, which should show some kind of unity, or at least equality. And there can be no equality between Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian athletes. After all, our athletes have no place to train, they cannot return home… They have lost their loved ones.”
“And at the same time, they have to enter the arena and confront the athletes directly supporting all of this?! It’s definitely not about fair play. Therefore, I hope that other European countries will join us and help, through political pressure, to ensure that they are not allowed.”
Today, February 9, Elina Svitolina and Sergey Stakhovsky will hold a master class for young tennis players. Earlier, Svitolina and Stakhovsky sold their rackets at a charity auction and donated the proceeds to funds to help the Ukrainian people.
Recall that the IOC is ready to consider the possibility of admitting athletes from Russia and Belarus to international competitions. In this case, everyone who wishes will be required to act in a neutral status. Also, athletes should not support the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine and pass a mandatory doping test.
The Olympic Summit, chaired by IOC President Thomas Bach, unanimously agreed to accept an initiative proposed by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in its competitions. The OCA is developing a special system that will allow Russians to qualify for the Olympics through Asian competitions.
The IOC believes that a complete ban on the performance of Russian and Belarusian athletes is discrimination and is contrary to the Olympic Charter. The organizers of the 2024 Olympics in Paris said they would adhere to the IOC decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete under a neutral flag.
Source: Sportarena
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
