The International Olympic Committee condemned Russia on Monday for its invasion of Ukraine, calling for sports bodies to exclude the country’s athletes from international events.
The move could give cover for FIFA to ban Russia from World Cup qualifiers in March after three European countries — Sweden, Poland and the Czech Republic — have all refused to play against Russia.
The IOC said the decision — as well as its statement condemning Russia for breaching the Olympic Truce — was made “to protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all participants.”
The committee’s call also applies to athletes from Belarus, which has aided Russia’s invasion by allowing the use of its territory for stationing troops and launching military attacks.
“The IOC’s executive board recommends that International Sports Federations and sports event organizers not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions,”
Additionally, according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden on Monday morning, the IOC has specifically urged FIFA and UEFA to ban Russia.
Poland is currently scheduled to play Russia on March 24 in the qualifiers to determine which country will go to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Even if the Polish football federation does change its mind, the team won’t technically be playing against Russia, but rather the “Russian Football Union.” The stripping of Russia’s official name — as well as removing any World Cup playoff games from Russia and banning the country’s flag and anthem — were middle-ground punishments handed down by FIFA on Sunday. But the decision by soccer’s governing body didn’t do much to quell criticism.
“Today’s FIFA decision is totally unacceptable,” Polish football federation President Cezary Kulesza tweeted Sunday. “We are not interested in participating in this game of appearances. Our stance remains intact: Polish National Team will NOT PLAY with Russia, no matter what the name of the team is.”
The IOC’s statement includes an exception where exclusion was “not possible on short notice for organizational or legal reasons,” such as the upcoming Winter Paralympics in Beijing, where Russian and Belarusian athletes will be competing with no national flag, anthem or symbols.
• This article is based in part on wire service reports.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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