"Punch them in the face": Lukashenko had a meltdown over Belarusians' participation in the 2024 Olympics

Self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko did not oppose the boycott of the 2024 Olympics in Paris by the country's athletes. The dictator noted that athletes should decide for themselves whether they should participate in the competition in the so-called neutral status.

Lukashenko said this in a commentary to the propaganda outlet Belarus Segodnya. The head of the country, a co-aggressor in Russia's war against Ukraine, made his traditional appeals to athletes to "beat up" their opponents and prove their strength.

"This is a matter for the athletes. Of course, I would like it to be as it should be: coat of arms, anthem, flag, etc. The life of an athlete is very short. I don't insist on any of the options. But if you've qualified and are going there in a neutral status, you should 'beat them up' and show that you are a true Belarusian. We must not give up," Lukashenko said.

As a reminder, Belarusians, like Russians, will compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris without a flag and anthem and only in individual tournaments.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach threatened Russian athletes with disqualification from the 2024 Games for violating the eligibility rules.

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