Viktor Lukashenko. Photo courtesy of the NOC of Belarus
MINSK, 12 December (BelTA) – President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Belarus Viktor Lukashenko commented on the decisions of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board made at the 14th Olympic Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland, the press service of the NOC of Belarus told BelTA.
Ahead of the summit, the IOC recommended that sports federations allow Belarusian and Russian athletes in youth competitions with their national symbols and also permitted international tournaments to be held on the territory of Belarus.
“The news is undoubtedly very important and positive. This is the first official decision by the IOC Executive Board since 2023 that significantly improves the situation for Belarusian athletes by lifting all restrictions for young athletes. It is necessary that all international federations implement this decision, which will obviously take some time. Lifting the ban on hosting international sporting events in our country opens up significant opportunities and prospects for expanding cooperation.
These decisions are definitely very significant, yet they remain intermediate steps on the path to full restoration. I hope that lifting the restrictions for junior athletes will serve as good motivation for senior athletes. It is gratifying that our position, which was absolutely correct from the start, has found support within the IOC. The NOC of Belarus, together with the national federations, will continue its step-by-step work to have all sports sanctions against our country and our athletes lifted.
We express gratitude to the IOC Executive Board for its balanced and impartial decision, which is based on the fundamental principles of Olympism. The official statement placed special emphasis on the principle of the political neutrality of the Olympic movement. We recognize the significant contribution of IOC President Kirsty Coventry, whose goal, as we see it, is to unite the world through sport not in words, but in deeds,” the statement by the Belarus NOC head reads.
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