KYIV, July 4 — International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach on Sunday said the organisation would ensure that Ukrainian athletes could compete at the 2024 Olympics despite the Russian invasion.
Speaking during a visit to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Bach pledged to increase the amount of IOC funding for athletes from the war-torn nation.
“We are supporting them (Ukrainian athletes) in a way we can see them at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 and at the Olympic Winter Games in 2026 in Cortina-Milano, that the Ukrainian flag will fly high,” said Bach.
“The IOC will triple the fund we have been establishing at the very beginning of the Russian invasion in Ukraine from US$2.5 million (RM11 million) to US$7.5 million.” The IOC responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February by recommending that international sports federations ban Russian and Belarusian athletes.
Bach said that the IOC would not be changing its position.
“We also reassured the president (Zelensky) we maintain the position we took at the very beginning of the war, which is very clear,” he said.
“Including the recommendations towards international federations not to invite Russian and Belarus athletes to international competitions.
“The time has not come to lift these recommendations.” Among a raft of sporting sanctions, Russia has been suspended from international football tournaments, the Russian Formula One Grand Prix was cancelled and Russian and Belarusian tennis players have been banned from Wimbledon. — AFP
