Ksenia Sankovich
MINSK, 8 May (BelTA) - Ksenia Sankovich, Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the Republic of Belarus, called the IOC’s decision to lift restrictions on Belarusians a fundamental one for international federations, BelTA has learned.
On 7 May 2026, the IOC Executive Board lifted all restrictions on the participation of Belarusian athletes in international competitions, including the ban on using national symbols. The NOC of Belarus emphasized the importance of this decision for the country’s sports community and called the IOC’s statement a guiding directive for international federations, which will now address the full restoration of Belarusians’ rights.
“This is joyful and long-awaited news. We are grateful to IOC President Kirsty Coventry and her entire team for their efforts to return global sport to the basic principles of neutrality. We clearly and consistently defended our position, and the IOC heard us. Our intermediate goals have been achieved. This decision has given us hope that everything will soon be resolved. But we are still at the beginning of the journey; a great deal of work lies ahead,” Ksenia Sankovich said.
The NOC secretary general also stressed that the IOC’s statement does not automatically mean full admission for Belarusians with flag and anthem to all world tournaments. “Now it is necessary for international sports federations to adopt this decision through their own governing bodies, but that will take time. Our national federations must actively engage in this work, and the NOC will provide maximum support to enable Belarusian representatives to travel to negotiation platforms.”
According to Ksenia Sankovich, the restrictions against Belarusians were triggered by the IOC’s decision of 28 February 2022, and its repeal should put an end to that situation. “We will develop further action plans depending on the actions of international federations. It is logical to assume that those organizations that quickly responded to last year’s IOC decision regarding the admission of our juniors will act just as swiftly this time. It must be taken into account that each federation is a separate structure with its own nuances.”
Photo by Denis Kostyuchenko, NOC-BelTA
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