2023-09-04 18:01:52
The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, believes that the boycott of sports competitions, including the Olympic Games, does not achieve its goal and is only symbolic. Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal said that Ukraine, together with a coalition of 35 countries, is ready to boycott the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris if athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to attend.
“All those who called for a boycott should have understood that such a sports boycott had no effect and was just symbolic, but it did not live up to their expectations. On the contrary, in most cases it caused damage, ”said the head of the IOC, his words are quoted by the TV channel CNBC-TV18.
On March 28, the IOC executive committee recommended that Russians who oppose the Russian military operation in Ukraine be allowed to compete as neutral athletes. After that, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine allowed Ukrainians to participate in international competitions with athletes from Russia and Belarus, if they are in a neutral status.
In July, it became known that the Olympic committees of Russia and Belarus would not receive invitations to the Summer Games in Paris on July 26 – a year before the start of the 2024 Olympics – unlike the committees of other countries. The head of the IOC, Thomas Bach, did not name the timing of the decision on the admission of athletes from Russia and Belarus to the Olympic Games.
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