Russians Might Opt Out Of Olympics: Ukrainian Sports Minister

Paris, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Aug, 2023 ) :Ukraine's sports Minister Vadym Gutzeit does not "exclude the Russians making a 'goodwill gesture' not to go" to the Paris Olympics next year, he told AFP in an interview.

Gutzeit added if the Russians and Belarusians were permitted by the IOC to compete in Paris as neutral athletes and Ukraine boycotted the Games "other countries that have suffered from Russian imperialism at different stages of their history will join this boycott".

The IOC has yet to make a decision on whether Russians and Belarusians can take part in the Paris Games -- which run from July 26 to August 11 2024 -- as neutral competitors.

Since Russia launched its war in Ukraine in February 2022, the IOC imposed sporting sanctions on Moscow and its ally Minsk, but earlier this year it recommended Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete as individuals in qualifying events under a neutral flag and with no anthem.

The decision provoked howls of protest from both the Ukrainian government and their athletes criticising the IOC for placing the human rights of Russian athletes above theirs.

This resulted in Ukraine barring their athletes from competing at events where Russians and Belarusians were -- tennis being the exception as it has been since the invasion as they compete as individuals.

However, last month there was a dramatic change of tack from the Ukrainian government permitting their athletes to compete in competitions where the Russians and Belarusians were competing as 'neutral athletes'.