Ukraine will discuss the boycott of the Olympic Games. from Paris if Russian athletes participate

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He Olympic Committee of Ukraine will meet on Friday morning to consult with the national sports federations on a possible boycott of the 2024 Paris Olympics in the event that Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to participate, even if it is under a neutral flag.

The International Olympic Committee previously said athletes from the two countries could participate in the Olympics under a neutral flag as long as they did not “actively support” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian NOC published a letter from its president, Vadym Guttsait, to the IOC president Thomas Bach on Thursday, where he stressed that the NOCs in Russia and Belarus are fully controlled by his government “while many athletes serve in their armies, which are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of peaceful people in Ukraine, including those member of their Olympic family.” .

Gutsait also indicated that many of Russia’s top athletes openly support and encourage the actions of the Russian government in Ukraine. He urged that Russian and Belarusian athletes be prevented from participating in any international competition while Russian troops carry out the “genocide of Ukrainians”.

While the Ukrainian NOC has yet to make a formal decision, several current and former Ukrainian athletes have also expressed disappointment with the IOC’s position.

Former footballer and Ballon d’Or winner Andriy Shevchenko emphasized Thursday that the Olympic Games provide the ability to deliver a message to global audiences.

If athletes from Russia or Belarus are allowed to participate, he wrote on his Facebook, the IOC’s message to the world will be “the war is over, all will be forgiven and forgotten.”

Sergiy Stakhovskyia former tennis player, currently serving in the Ukrainian army, has repeatedly stressed that Russian athletes can use their fame to spread the truth about their country’s actions in Ukraine to Russians, thereby would help stop the invasion, but they decide not to do it.

Ukrainian athletes and officials also recalled the deaths of Ukrainian athletes and the destruction of sports infrastructure in Ukraine, which makes it impossible for Ukrainian athletes to prepare for the Olympic Games at home.

The idea of ​​boycotting the Olympic Games is sure to meet some resistance as the sports committee of the country’s parliament issued a statement on Wednesday leaning towards the possibility of finding a coalition of countries to jointly convince the IOC to do not allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes.

If Ukraine decides to boycott the tournament on its own, it will “show weakness and hand over the international sports arena to murderers, terrorists and rapists,” read the statement, signed by Olympic medalists. Zhan Beleniuk and Olga Saladukhacurrent members of parliament.

Source: La Verdad

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