The Russian offensive war in Ukraine continues to have a major impact on competitive sport. In the run-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, there is still a debate over whether Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to compete in the tournament. Poland’s sports minister, Kamil Bortniczuk, suggested that athletes from both countries who are clearly opposed to the war should be admitted.
The 40-year-old said you could start in the refugee team. Since 2016, there has been a team of refugees participating in the Olympic Games. Bortniczuk is less concerned with refugee status than with the athletes on this team not competing under any flag. “That would send a clear signal to the world that not nationality, but attitude to war is the criterion that determines whether someone deserves to participate in international sports competitions or not,” he said in March.
The head of the Russian Wrestling Federation, Mikhail Mamiashvili, has now reacted sharply to this suggestion. In an interview in Russia, he said: “If they want to see us as a team of refugees at the Olympics, then we have to go to Paris on tanks.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had already cleared the way for the athletes from Russia and Belarus to be admitted again. Yet there is strong opposition from several countries campaigning for the exclusion of those athletes. Poland is one of these countries.
“This whole situation lacks the slightest bit of substance,” a spokesman for the International Olympic Committee said when asked: “The position of the IOC remains absolutely unchanged.”
Unlike Mamiashvili, other sports officials from Russia are reluctant to comment. The formation of such a selection of refugees is not an official proposal of the International Olympic Committee, so it is “not particularly correct” to comment on it, said State Duma deputy and former Olympic skating champion Svetlana Zhurova. (not online)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
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