Even though the Summer Olympics 2024 are almost a year away, the topic has already begun to gain attention. Paris is going to host one of the most popular sporting events on earth next year in July. Still, the changed geo-political demographics are becoming a matter of concern for the organizing committee. After the military escalation from Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been demanding the ban of Russian and Belarusian players from the upcoming Olympics. However, the recent announcement of the IOC Head didn’t land in his favor. 

Thomas Bach, head of the International Olympic Committee, recently said that the committee is finding a way to include the two countries under a ‘neutral’ flag. 

The Ukrainian President expresses his disappointment

Zelenskyy has been making the demands for a long time, and the statement has come up as a major disappointment for the Ukrainian President. Zelenskyy said that allowing players from the two countries would be a “manifestation of war”. He further added that the white flag could not be the solution for the war crimes that the two countries committed. 

Ukraine said that more than 200 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have lost their lives after the horrific attack by Russian military forces. Zelenskyy further threatened to pull out its athletes if Russia is allowed to participate in global sporting events.

Read More: Russian Sports Minister Makes a Bold Statement as 35 Countries Mount Pressure to Ban Russia and Belarus From Paris Olympics 2024

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However, not only Ukraine, but several other countries like the Czech Republic, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Poland have made similar appeals to bar the two countries from the Paris Games. According to The Guardian, Zelenskyy said, “Russia is now a country that stains everything with blood, even the white flag.”

Olympic committee’s view behind the decision

During the recently hosted World Ski Championship in France, Bach said that the association is putting every possible effort to help the human suffering happening in Ukraine. However, he added governments cannot decide the basis of participation in such global sporting events. Engaging in political issues can harm the dignity of these events. “It would be the end of international sports competitions and the world championships and the Olympic games as we know it”, he said. 

Bach said that the Olympic Games are a type of peace mission and use sports as a platform to keep the negotiations open. He added it is IOC’s aim to find solutions and acknowledged that the organization is trying its best to maintain peace.

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