TASS, 12 July. Ukrainian athletes will continue to boycott international competitions with the participation of Russians and Belarusians. Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine Vadim Gutzeit stated this on Wednesday in an interview with the Obshchestvennoe publication.
“There is a state decision that we still do not participate in these competitions,” said Gutzeit. “Today, such an option (to review the boycott – TASS note) is not being considered. It is difficult now, but there is such a decision, we have made it, we are moving on it. Everyone’s heart is heavy, you understand. But here [at the NOC office] there was a meeting with all the presidents of the federations who expressed their opinion, it was a common decision.”
On April 18, the press service of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine announced that it would deprive the country’s sports federations of their national status if their athletes participate in international competitions where representatives of Russia and Belarus compete. At a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, a resolution was adopted to introduce appropriate changes to the provision on granting a sports federation a national status on a competitive basis and depriving such a status.
The NOC of Ukraine has repeatedly stated about the possibility of a boycott of the Olympics in Paris if Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to compete. On February 9, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said in a letter to Gutzeit that the boycott of the Games was a violation of the Olympic Charter. He also called unfortunate the attempts of the NOC of Ukraine to influence the decision-making on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in the Games.
On March 28, the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee recommended that international sports federations allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions only in a neutral status, and only those who have not publicly spoken out in support of a special military operation in Ukraine and are not associated with the armed forces or national security agencies.
Source : TACC
