Russian and Belarusian athletes will not participate in the Asian Games

Russian and Belarusian athletes will not participate in the Asian Games to be held in China at the end of September, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Sunday September 3, considering the project “not feasible”.

“The idea of ​​the participation of athletes with Russian and Belarusian pports in the Asian Games 2023 was explored, as was said at the Olympic summit in December 2022, but it was not feasible for technical reasons”explained an IOC spokesperson.

Both countries have been barred from many sporting events since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, although individual athletes have since been allowed to compete under certain conditions. The IOC said earlier this year that it was necessary to study the possibility of having their athletes participate in the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, but under a neutral banner.

At a meeting in Bangkok in July, the general embly of the Olympic Council of Asia authorized a maximum of 500 athletes from these two countries to compete in the Asian Games under conditions. These athletes should have lined up individually, under a neutral flag and without being able to claim medals. Nevertheless, the Asian Games could have offered them an opportunity to win Olympic quotas. This participation of athletes from both countries would have been a first.

The Asian Games, originally scheduled for 2022, have been postponed for a year due to very strict anti-Covid rules in China. The events will take place from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou.