The International Olympic Council’s (IOC) Executive Board has issued a statement on Thursday and announced the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) with immediate effect for “breach of charter”. The move comes after the Russian Olympic Committee recognised regional organisations from four Ukrainian territories annexed since the invasion began in 2022.
The 141st Session of the IOC will be held from October 15-17 and the IOC’s Executive Board is meeting over two days, on October 12 and 13, to discuss the proposals it has to move forward to the Session.
The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Russia was suspended after it decided to include regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the NOC of Ukraine.
As per the IOC’s statement, “The unilateral decision taken by the Russian Olympic Committee on 5 October 2023 to include, as its members, the regional sports organisations which are under the authority of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Ukraine (namely Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia) constitutes a breach of the Olympic Charter because it violates the territorial integrity of the NOC of Ukraine, as recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in accordance with the Olympic Charter.”
The IOC added, “The Russian Olympic Committee is suspended with immediate effect until further notice.”
Speaking of the consequences of the suspension, IOC said, “The Russian Olympic Committee is no longer entitled to operate as a National Olympic Committee, as defined in the Olympic Charter, and cannot receive any funding from the Olympic Movement.”
The IOC also said that it will decide about the participation of athletes with Russian passports in the 2024 Olympics in Paris as well as the Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 “at the appropriate time”.
It further added, “As stated in the IOC’s position and recommendations of 28 March 2023, which remain fully in place, the IOC reserves the right to decide about the participation of individual neutral athletes with a Russian passport in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 at the appropriate time.”
Ukrianian president Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision. “If someone in Russia thinks they can use sports and the Olympic movement as a weapon, that will definitely not work,” he said on his evening address as quoted by AFP. “Thank you to everyone who defends the principles of Olympism.”
After the IOC decision, Russia’s Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin on social media. “By making such decisions, the IOC demonstrates total dependence on the political and business environment, losing its authority and independence,” Matytsin said as quoted by AFP.
The IOC EB director of communications Mark Adams confirmed that members of the Canadian NOC will be present in Mumbai for the Session, following the diplomatic row between India and Canada. “To be honest, I know only about one of them. I know that Tricia Smith is definitely coming. The other one, I guess, is an honourary member,” said Adams.
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Updated: 13 Oct 2023, 09:36 AM IST
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