UK calls on Olympic Games' sponsors to prevent return of Russians to international sports

The UK government has written to the Olympic Games' biggest sponsors urging them to put pressure on the IOC over its proposals to allow Russian and Belarusians to compete again in international sport and the Paris 2024 Games.

Source: The Guardian

Details: Reportedly, the culture secretary, Lucy Frazer, has also asked the UK chief executives of the IOC's worldwide partners – including Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung and Visa – to press the IOC over a number of significant concerns it has over the potential easing of the ban for Russians and Belarusians. 

Quote: "We know sport and politics in Russia and Belarus are heavily intertwined, and we are determined that the regimes in Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to use sport for their propaganda purposes,

"As long as our concerns and the substantial lack of clarity and concrete detail on a workable 'neutrality' model are not addressed, we do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed back into competition," the letter states.

Background:

• Thomas Bach, President of International Olympic Committee (IOC), is willing to "explore the possibility" of allowing athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in international sports, even though this could lead to a boycott of the competition by Ukraine.
• President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has written to the presidents of the world's leading sports federations, urging them to make up their minds about the International Olympic Committee's decision to reinstate Russian athletes in international competitions.

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