Chinese Olympic Committee Supports Accepting Russian Athletes To International Tournaments

Zeeshan Mehtab Published January 28, 2023 | 07:35 PM

The Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) on Saturday expressed its agreement with the stance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to allow, among others, Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international tournaments under neutral status

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th January, 2023) The Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) on Saturday expressed its agreement with the stance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to allow, among others, Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international tournaments under neutral status.

"The Chinese Olympic Committee assumes that athletes from all over the world should have equal rights to participate in competitions. Their participation should be determined by their athletic performance and should not depend on such factors as politics or war. China has always adhered to the principle of political neutrality in sports and opposed the politicization of sports," the statement read.

The statement also said that the committee would "actively support the IOC and the OCA's initiatives and decisions" and was ready to establish a platform for the joint protection of all athletes, including professional Russian and Belarusian athletes, to protect Olympic values.

On Wednesday, the IOC announced that it was ready to consider the admission of Russian athletes to international tournaments under strict conditions that will be verified during individual checks. The conditions include participation in the tournaments under neutral status and the respect for the IOC's peace mission, including not supporting the conflict in Ukraine.

At the Olympic Summit in December, the OCA announced its readiness to host Russian athletes at Asian sports competitions, including at the next Asian Games in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, which would run from September 23 to October 8.

On February 28, the IOC issued a recommendation to the International Sports Federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from international competitions in response to the special operation in Ukraine.