Seoul To Request Clarification On Russia's Participation In Asian Games - Olympic Body

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st February, 2023) The Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC), South Korea's top national Olympic body, said on Wednesday it would request clarification from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on its decision to invite Russian and Belarusian athletes to the 2023 Asian Games.

Last week, the OCA invited Russian and Belarusian athletes to take part in the 2023 Asian Games that will run in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8.

"With Russian and Belarusian athletes participating, operating knockout events at the Asian Games can pose some problems. We will ask the OCA how it will handle those situations, and also in what sports Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete at the Asian Games," a KSOC official was quoted by the Yonhap news agency as saying.

The committee added that the OCA had notified its 45 members of participation of the two countries in the Asian Games "without any prior consultation," though it had vowed to ensure that Asian athletes' chances to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics would not be put at a disadvantage, with participants from the two states also being not eligible to win medals in the competition, the media outlet reported.

On January 25, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced 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 Russia's military operation in Ukraine.

Many international sports organizations have banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in their competitions in response to Moscow's ongoing military operation in Ukraine and Minsk's support for it. In particular, the IOC issued in late February 2022 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.