NOC says IOC’s decision on Belarus athletes sets example for international sport federations

MINSK, 7 May (BelTA) - The National Olympic Committee of Belarus (NOC) welcomes the decision of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board of 7 May 2026 regarding Belarusian athletes, the NOC announced in an official statement, BelTA has learned.

The decision is of great importance for the entire Belarusian sports community and is a long-awaited event for every athlete in the country. “On behalf of the entire Belarusian sports community, we express our gratitude to President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Kirsty Coventry for her balanced and principled stance,” the statement reads.

The NOC fully supports the IOC’s position that athletes’ participation in international competitions should not depend on political decisions. “We firmly believe that sport is meant to serve as a unifying force and should remain a platform free from political influence, where athletes compete on equal terms regardless of external circumstances. We express hope for the swift restoration of the rights of all athletes who have faced restrictions for political reasons. We count on the International Olympic Committee’s decision to become a defining benchmark for international sport federations, which should promptly lift all restrictions on Belarusian athletes across all sports,” the NOC stressed.