The head of the IOC believes that it is necessary to participate in the Olympics of all countries, even those in conflict, otherwise “the symbol of peace from the Olympics will not work”

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach believes that only the participation of all countries in the Olympic Games, including those in conflict, can make the Olympics a symbol of peace.

At the start of the G20 Leaders’ Dinner on Tuesday, Indonesian President Joko Widodo gave the floor to Bahu. The head of the IOC, in a speech to the leaders of the G20, noted that the coronavirus pandemic proved how necessary sport is, because it gives people hope.

– The Olympics can unite the whole world only if athletes from all over the world participate in it.

Unlike other conflicts between countries in the past, this time some countries have decided that they have the right to refuse athletes to participate in the Olympic Games for political reasons. If sport becomes a tool for political influence, it will fall apart completely.

The very essence of sport is that decisions should be made only on the basis of sports results, and not anything else.

It is necessary that all countries take part in the Olympic Games, including – and even in particular – conflicting ones. If only allied countries participate, there will be no real symbol of peace from the Olympic Games. Humanity does not have so many opportunities to unite, – RIA Novosti Sport quoted Bach as saying.

At the end of February, the IOC Executive Board, due to the situation in Ukraine, recommended that sports federations not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions. At the end of September, Bach, in an interview with the Italian edition of Corriere della Sera, said that Russian athletes who distance themselves from the special operation in Ukraine should be allowed to participate in international competitions in a neutral status.

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