Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matitsin called the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to recommend the readmission of Russian and Belarusian athletes unacceptable. in international competitions under a neutral flag and if they meet a series of conditions, including “not actively supporting the war in Ukraine”.
“We consider it unacceptable to establish special conditions for athletes that do not correspond to the Olympic Charterwith the principles of equality and justice,” Matitsin said in a statement published on his portfolio’s Telegram channel.
He emphasized that “politics cannot and should not be mixed with sports” and that “there is no room for speculation about special military operations”, as Moscow calls its war campaign in Ukraine.
“For our athletes, representing the country is an honor and a source of pride. It’s always like this,” the minister insisted.
He added that “external pressure” allowed Russia to appreciate its own resources and do everything possible to strengthen national sports.
“We are a self-sufficient country, with great sports traditions, who have shown the ability to organize major events international sport, which is also positively valued by the IOC”, recalls Matitsin.
The minister emphasized that in sports for Russia “there are no friendly and unfriendly countries” and that “political interference in sports is unacceptable.”
The IOC’s decision comes exactly one and a half years after the opening of the Paris Olympic Games, with qualifying tournaments underway. Now athletes from two sanctioned countries can access them.
The IOC said it was considering a letter from the UN rapporteur against racism and discrimination.where he expressed his concern that banning the participation of athletes, referees and other sports actors based on their nationality could be discriminatory.
The example of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games is also considered, where Yugoslav athletes at the time were able to compete as independents without representing their country, as it was subject to international sanctions.
The IOC stressed that the accepted Russian and Belarusian athletes must demonstrate their compliance with the anti-doping codeand in this sense they will be subject to individual tests.
Source: La Verdad
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