New Delhi: The Nordic Olympic Committees and Confederations of sports have jointly opposed the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and said “now is not the right time to consider their return.”
In a joint statement of seven Nordic nations — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Åland — have reiterated their position on the Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“The situation with the war in Ukraine has not changed. Therefore, we stand firm in our position, not to open for Russian and Belarusian Athletes and officials in international sports participation. Now is not the right time to consider their return; that is our position,” the joint statement read.
“The Nordic Olympic and Paralympic Committees and Confederations of sports, take this opportunity to reaffirm our steadfast support once again with the Ukrainian people and the demand for peace,” the statement further read.
Ukraine has already threatened to boycott the 2024 Paris Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) included the Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the quadrennial event.
Last week, Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania — and Poland have jointly condemned the IOC’s call for allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus into international competitions saying that it will legitimise and distract attention from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, launched in February last year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board had recommended excluding athletes from Russia and Belarus from international competition adding that they should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams.
However, the IOC has earlier announced it would “explore a pathway” to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris under a neutral flag, citing that “no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport”.
–IANS