MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th January, 2023) Australian Olympic Committee President Ian Chesterman on Thursday backed the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) position on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes, but competitors must follow a number of strict conditions.
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Thursday invited Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in the 2023 Asian Games, scheduled for the fall. At the Olympic Summit in December, the OCA announced its readiness to host Russian athletes at Asian sports competitions. On Wednesday, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it was ready to consider the admission of Russian competitors to international tournaments under strict conditions, which includes not supporting the conflict in Ukraine.
"We are very clear that athletes from Russia or Belarus would have to compete as neutral athletes with no flags, colours or anthems at any qualifying events or at Paris 2024," Australia's Olympic Committee quoted Chesterman in a statement.
Chesterman said that Russian and Belarusian athletes must respect the Olympic charter, show no support for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, and fully comply with the World Anti-Doping Code.
"This remains an extremely complex issue to negotiate. The sanctions must remain and our support for Ukraine is unwavering. Equally, the role of the Olympic movement has always been to promote the role of sport to bring the world together and not to punish the athlete for the actions of governments," Chesterman said.
The next Asian Games will be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8.
On February 28, the IOC issued a recommendation to ISFs to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from international competitions in response to the special operation in Ukraine.
