Earlier, President of the Russian Archery Federation Vladimir Yesheev said in an interview with Match TV that members of the Russian archery team refused to participate in the Olympic qualifying tournaments due to the ban on using the flag and anthem of Russia. Federation. This means that Russian athletes will not be able to participate in the Paris Olympic Games.
“Here there are only two possible opinions and decisions – to participate or not to participate. Our discussions included the opinions of federation presidents, respected coaches and athletes themselves. Some, like wrestlers and players of tennis, declared their intention to participate. Others categorically refused, such as gymnasts and fencers. There are different points of view.
The President of the country instructed the Ministry of Sports and the Russian Olympic Committee to meet and make a decision regarding the participation of our athletes. Discussions are ongoing. We constantly see different, even contradictory, proposals from the IOC. Sometimes you have to sign a letter, sometimes you don’t, meaning you have to provide evidence, sometimes you don’t. This is where the difficulty lies.
I believe we are obliged to respect the opinions of the athletes and federations who decided to go to the Olympic Games, as well as the decisions of those who refused. We cannot prohibit children who have already passed the selection from participating in the Games. They are preparing for the Olympic Games and have decided to participate. This does not mean that they should be considered traitors. No. These are our citizens, our athletes. We will wish them a worthy performance, we will worry and we will support them. We will also respect the decision of the federations and athletes who have decided not to participate in the Olympic Games. We understand their position,” Svishchev said in an interview with Match TV.
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Source: Sport
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