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

The debate on the participation of Russia and Belarus in the Paris Olympics 2024 is getting more intense every day. 35 countries, including the US, UK, Ukraine, and others, have demanded that the IOC ban the participation of Russia and Belarus in the 2024 Olympics due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Now, Russian Sports Minister, Oleg Matytsin, has come up with a bold reply to the demand. 

The TASS news agency has reported the statement of Matytsin, who called this demand “absolutely unacceptable.” However, now the IOC is under immense pressure of making the decision, as the Olympics are not too far. 

Russian Sports Minister replied to the demand against them 

35 countries have demanded the ban on Russia and Belarus after an online meeting. The meeting’s agenda was to discuss the concern about the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In the end, they decided to demand the ban. However, now the Russian Sports Minister has come up with a reply to their demand. As reported by Reuters, Matytsin stated, “This is a direct interference of ministers in the activities of independent international sports organizations, an attempt to dictate the conditions for the participation of athletes in international competitions, which is absolutely unacceptable.”

Although the IOC has allowed the Russian and Belarusian athletes to play neutrally, the opposing countries have also shared their concerns about that. However, according to the IOC, this has been allowed keeping in mind, the UN’s resolution against discrimination. 

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Matytsin said, “Now we see an undisguised desire to destroy the unity of international sports and the international Olympic movement, to make sport a means of pressure to resolve political issues.“

The IOC expected the Russia-Ukraine conflict wouldn’t create an issue for them. However, there is still more than a year left to the Paris Olympics. Yet, with the countries standing steady on their decision, the pressure is building up on the Olympic Committee,  

What’s your opinion on the demand made by the 35 countries? Moreover, do you think the athletes will be banned from the 2024 Olympics, or will they be allowed to play neutrally as they did at the Winter Olympics in 2022? 

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