Monitoring Desk
MUNICH: Germany’s National Olympic Committee has opposed to allow athletes of Russian and Belarus to compete internationally, western media reported on Tuesday.
German National Olympic Committee head Torsten Burmester said that it is not the correct time to permit athletes with a Belarusian or Russian passport to take part in international competitions.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that it is trying to explore a “pathway” to permit Russian and Belarusian players to attend the Paris Games. That sparked fury from Kyiv and questions from many western countries.
German Olympic Committee
Torsten Burmester said he attended a conference call with International Olympic Committee in January.
He added that in this call, they clearly expressed their stance and said that they could only imagine a re-admission of Russia and Belarus — if it is decided — under very strict circumstances.
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In a letter this month, over 30 countries, including UK, France, Poland, Sweden, the US, and Canada, expressed concern about the matter and asked how the athletes could be neutral.
Burmester further said that it would have to be ensured that no player from Belarus or Russia who strongly support the war start.
