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The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Athletes' Forum has concluded that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to participate in international competitions as neutrals. The decision was made following a vote by the Olympic Council on Friday. The OCA emphasized that athletes should not be penalized for the actions of their respective governments and should be able to compete without discrimination.
However, certain conditions were set, including the absence of national flags and anthems to ensure that athletes compete strictly as neutrals. The ruling specifies that athletes must adhere to all anti-doping rules and regulations and cannot compete with a national flag or anthem or win any medals at the Asian Games. Russian and Belarusian government officials are also not permitted to be present during these competitions.
This move by the OCA aligns with the IOC's controversial exploration of a pathway for the return of athletes from these countries. During a forum in March, OCA Director General Husain Al-Musallam made reference to the inclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes in his opening remarks. The Director made it clear that, going forward, Russian and Belarusian athletes would slowly be allowed to participate. Al-Musallam insists that the Asian Games have been successful because it has valued sportsmanship and not allowed global conflicts to interfere in the past.
"It is the right of every individual in any society to practise sport without any discrimination," said Al-Musallam. “We have World War II, we have the North Korea and South Korea war, India and Pakistan, Afghanistan, in the west we have a war in Palestine and in Syria - every part of Asia. But the Asian Olympic Movement stayed together because we are not only talking about practicing sport without discrimination, we are implementing this ourselves,” he further added.
What is the path to Paris 2024 for Russian athletes?
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian and Belarusian athletes have faced significant bans from international competitions. Several governments, including the United States, Britain, and France, have exerted pressure on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to exclude athletes from these countries from participating in international events.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been considering ways for the athletes to participate at the Paris Olympics since last year. In January, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) expressed its willingness to consider the inclusion of athletes from the countries as neutrals in the Olympics. The IOC also proposed Asia as a potential qualifying pathway to bypass the bans imposed on these athletes from European regional competitions.
With the Asian Games set to allow Russians to compete, the nation will be looking to qualify for Paris with strong showings at the Hangzhou based tournament.
