Ukraine may boycott the 2024 Paris Olympic Games which is edging closer if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete even under a neutral flag....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
This will be ascertained by the Ukraine Olympics Committee on March 3, 2023, when they convene with national federations.
Recall, the International Olympic Committee recently said that athletes from these two countries could participate in the upcoming competition using a neutral flag as long as they have not “actively supported” Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Ukraine is still adamant that they will not participate in the competition if there is still war in Ukraine and Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete.
“Our position is unchanged: as long as there is a war in Ukraine, Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be in international competitions,” Vadym Gutzeit said
With Ukraine Olympic Committee yet to make a formal stand on this, Ukraine athletes and former athletes expressed their disappointment with the position of the International Olympic Committee.
Andriy Shevchenko, former Ballon d’Or winner said that the Olympic games serve as an avenue of message conveyance globally, and if athletes from Russia and Belarus are allowed to contest, the message that the IOC would project to the globe would be that the war is over, and all can be forgiven and forgotten.
His compatriot, Sergiy Stakhovskyi, an ex-tennis player, who is currently serving in the Ukrainian army advocate his stand and stressed that the sportsmen from Russia could have used their vogue to spread the truth about their country’s invasion of Ukraine that would have aided in halting the invasion but they refused to.
Ukraine also pointed out that the death of their sportsmen and the destruction of their sports facilities from the lingering war have impeded their athletes to prepare for the Olympic Games at home.
