A day after Ukraine slammed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for attempting to find ways to allow Russian athletes to compete, Moscow has responded.
Russia’s Olympic Committee chief Stanislav Pozdnyakov on Tuesday said Russian athletes should not be subjected to different conditions from those of other countries.
“Russians must participate exactly on the same conditions as all other athletes. Any additional conditions or criteria are unwelcome, especially any that have political overtones, which are completely unacceptable for the Olympic movement,” said Pozdnyakov.
On Monday, Ukraine’s presidential aide Mykhaylo Podolyak took to Twitter to post a message, terming IOC as a ‘promoter of war’.
“(The) IOC is a promoter of war, murder and destruction. The IOC watches with pleasure Russia destroying Ukraine and then offers Russia a platform to promote genocide and encourages their further killings,” tweeted Podolyak.
“Obviously Russian money that buys Olympic hypocrisy doesn’t have a smell of Ukrainian blood. Right, Mr Bach? added the presidential aide, referring to IOC president Thomas Bach.
#IOC is a promoter of war, murder & destruction. The IOC watches with pleasure RF destroying ???????? & then offers ???????? a platform to promote genocide & encourages their further killings.
Obviously ru-money that buys Olympic hypocrisy doesn’t have a smell of ???????? blood. Right, Mr. #Bach?
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) January 30, 2023
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has publically batted for no Russian athlete to be allowed at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“We must be sure that Russia will not be able to use it (the Olympics) or any other international sporting event to promote aggression or its state chauvinism.”
Ukraine’s sports minister has already issued a warning that his country and its athletes will boycott the 2024 Olympics if IOC continues to entertain the Russians.
The verbal attacks from the Russian and Ukrainian officials come in the backdrop of the IOC hinting that it could allow Russian athletes to compete in the quadrennial competition as neutrals.
The IOC said that “no athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport”.
“Respect the rights of all athletes to be treated without any discrimination, in accordance with the Olympic Charter. Governments must not decide which athletes can participate in which competition and which athletes cannot.”
Both Russia and its ally Belarus have been pushed to the fringes of most Olympic sports, following Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
(With inputs from agencies)
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