February 21, (THEWILL) – More than 30 countries including the United States and the United Kingdom, have voiced their support for a continued ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes participating in international sporting events.
The pledge of support comes as Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) considers allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutrals. The UK culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, criticised the IOC’s plans, saying they are not credible.
Frazer chaired a summit on February 10, which was attended by representatives from countries such as France, Germany, Poland, the United States, and Canada. Ukraine, which was not part of the summit, has threatened to boycott the 2024 Paris Olympics if the IOC allowed Russian athletes to compete.
In a collective statement issued on Monday, the signatory countries urged the IOC to reconsider its proposal and said the only way Russian and Belarusian athletes could return to the international sports community was by their countries ending the war they started.
The statement was signed by countries such as France, Japan, Italy, and the United States, which will host the 2028 Summer Olympics. Australia was not a signatory, but a spokesman for the Australian Sports Ministry confirmed that the government supports the ban.
The list of countries that signed the statement includes Austria, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein and Lithuania.
Others are Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States of America.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
