Zelenskyy denounced the IOC’s decision as “attempts to incorporate representatives of the terrorist state into world sports.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, president of Ukraine, has once more pleaded with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to forbid Russia from participating in the Olympics.
“Any neutral flag flown by Russian athletes is undoubtedly tarnished with blood. I extend an invitation to Mr. Bach to visit Bakhmut “In a video message posted to Twitter, Zelenskyy made reference to the war-torn city in eastern Ukraine. “So that he may witness with his own eyes that neutrality did not exist.”
“Thomas Bach, the current president of the International Olympic Committee, made certain remarks that were unavoidably disappointing. I had multiple conversations with him “In a speech on Friday, he remarked. And if he reinstates Russian athletes in international contests, I haven’t heard how he’s going to shield sports from war propaganda.
Zelenskyy has called for Russia to be excluded from the 2020 Summer Olympics, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Wednesday that it was pursuing a path for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as “neutral athletes,” who “in no way represent their state or any other organization in their country.”
The IOC President, Thomas Bach, stated on Wednesday that “no athlete should be denied the opportunity to compete just because of their passport.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) pointed out that its suggestion is akin to a similar choice made in 1992 when it let athletes from the former Yugoslavia, which was subject to UN sanctions, compete as independent Olympic competitors in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Basketball and other team sports were not played in Yugoslavia.
Athletes from Belarus and Russia are already competing in sports like tennis. Aryna Sabalenka, a Belarussian, won the Australian Open on Saturday.
Zelenskyy, on the other hand, denounced the IOC’s choice as “attempts to lure members of the terrorist state into world sports.”
Zelenskyy tweeted a number of incisive pictures of the war-damaged sports facilities in Ukraine on Saturday.
The conflict-torn nation’s president stated in a post on Saturday morning that “Olympic principles and war essentially oppose each other.” “Russia must stop its acts of aggression and terror, and only then will it be viable to discuss its involvement in the Olympic movement.”
Vadym Guttsait, the sports minister for Ukraine, stated on his Facebook page on Thursday, “I do not rule out the prospect that we would boycott and refuse participation in the Olympics if we are not heard.
The IOC’s stance, according to Stanislav Pozdnyakov, president of the Russian Olympic Committee, was “the voice of common reason,” he added in a statement on Wednesday.
Zelenskyy has disclosed that he advised French President Emmanuel Macron that Russia should have “no place” at the upcoming Summer Olympics because his nation is hosting them.
Olympic principles and war fundamentally oppose each other. Russia must stop aggression and terror, and only after it will be possible to talk about Russian participation in the Olympic movement.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 28, 2023
? Nikolay Synelnykov pic.twitter.com/KrMuWHXdVP
Just last February, the IOC suggested, “with a heavy heart,” that sporting organizations forgo having Russia and Belarus host or participate in events, “in order to safeguard the integrity of international sporting competitions and for the safety of all participants.”
However, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine presents a challenge for the Olympic Movement, according to a news release from the IOC. “While athletes from Russia and Belarus would still be allowed to take part in sporting events, many athletes from Ukraine are unable to do so due to the onslaught on their nation.”
The first international sports federations under the Olympic banner to act following the IOC statement were FIFA and World Curling. Russia’s national and club soccer teams have been banned from participating in FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.
