"The IOC has no other choice". Ukraine's allies discussed the situation with Russia's admission to the 2024 Olympics

Polish Minister of Sports and Tourism Kamil Bortniczuk said that in the near future, after negotiations with many parties, the UK's position on the exclusion of Russia and Belarus from the Paris Games will be announced. The official stressed that it is mild in content but unambiguous in meaning, which fully satisfies Poland.

In an interview with sport.dziennik.pl, the head of the department noted that since Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Polish side has been in constant contact with a group of sports ministers from countries that share this position.

"The ball is now in the IOC's court. The longer it delays its response, the more difficult it will be to successfully qualify athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in the Games. The IOC must make targeted decisions in advance," he explained.

Bortniczuk noted that with such strong opposition from such important countries as most of the European Union, the United States, Canada and Japan, the IOC has no choice but to take this voice into account.

"The other option is to present rules for the selection of neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus that are acceptable to all, and whose results will not raise doubts about their independence from the Putin and Lukashenko regimes. Let's hope that the IOC will abandon its proposals or accept our compromise," the minister said.

When asked about the opinion of Polish athletes about a possible boycott, the minister replied that this week at a meeting with the presidents of NOCs from different countries, it was unanimously decided that "everything must be done to prevent Russians and Belarusians from starting in Paris".

According to Bortniczuk, only Greece was clearly on the side of the International Olympic Committee among the representatives of the countries that spoke, and two countries offered to receive more information from the Committee on what the mechanism for admitting Russians and Belarusians would look like in practice.

"The other voices were clearly in favour of not allowing Russia and Belarus to participate in the Olympic Games, arguing that nothing has changed for the better in the behaviour of the Russians since February 24, and that any easing of sanctions would be justified," Bortniczuk said.

"Boycott is the strongest card in our deck. Athletes, who often have one or two chances throughout their sports career to fight for an Olympic medal, for their life success," he added.

The politician said that there is still time to use "softer tools" to motivate the IOC to change its decision.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, on January 25, the IOC issued a new statement regarding the suspension of athletes from Russia and Belarus, in which it noted that it was ready to consider the return of athletes from these countries to international competitions.

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