In case of neutral flags of the aggressor countries, the Ukrainian team will go to Paris
Minister of Youth and Sports and President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine Vadim Gutzeit said that Ukraine will not take part in the 2024 Olympic Games if athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete under their own flags.
“Our athletes should be at the Olympics. Our flag will be at the opening ceremony, at competitions, our athletes will represent our country, so that everyone in the world can see that Ukraine exists, has been and will be.”
“We do not pay attention to these athletes, because it is not at all clear to us who these athletes are, because they are under a neutral flag. If Russia and Belarus compete under their own flags, we will not participate in this Olympics.”
Initially, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to boycott the qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has already reacted to the decision of the Government of Ukraine to boycott the qualifying tournaments for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
It soon became known that Ukraine could refuse to boycott sports competitions, in which athletes of the aggressor country and the accomplice of terrorism, announced in the spring of 2023, take part. This decision may also apply to the 2024 Olympics.
The IOC Executive Committee recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be returned to international competitions in a neutral status. At the same time, teams from Russia and Belarus, as well as athletes who support the war or have a contract with the armies of the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, are not allowed to participate in the tournaments.
The head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, said that decisions on the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus to the Olympic Games in Paris should hardly be expected before the meeting of the executive committee of the organization, which will be held on October 15-17 in Mumbai. The functionary said that the IOC must be sure of the correctness of the decision.
In June, a representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expressed the categorical position of his organization regarding the participation of athletes from a terrorist country and an accomplice of terrorism to the Olympic Games 2024.
The Paris Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
Source: Sportarena
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