The DOSB has spoken out in favor of further excluding Russian and Belarusian athletes.
As the presidium of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) announced, one pleads “continue for an expulsion”. The notification also stated: “Russia and Belarus must not be given the opportunity to abuse the participation and successes of their athletes in international competitions for war propaganda purposes.”
However, if in doubt, the DOSB rejects a boycott of international competitions such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to the association’s executive committee. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will deal with the fundamental question at the meeting of its Executive Committee from March 28th to 30th. IOC President Thomas Bach had recently declared an exclusion “because of a passport or place of birth” violate the prohibition of discrimination and is therefore not sustainable.
DOSB left the door open to neutral status at the end of February
At the end of February, the DOSB had signaled a possible approval under conditions. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was informed “that we can only imagine a re-admission, should it be decided, under very strict conditions”said DOSB CEO Torsten Burmester on February 28th.
Something like that “genuine neutrality guaranteed”so it should “really no flags, national symbols or colors are worn and anthems are played”. It remains to be seen how this can be guaranteed. Simultaneously be now “Not the right time yet” came for a re-registration, said Burmester at the end of February.
The pressure on the DOSB had grown recently. Demands had become louder from politicians in Berlin that the German umbrella organization should position itself more clearly on the issue.
DOSB legal opinion: “Exclusion is permissible”
The IOC had recently referred to the concerns of two special rapporteurs from the United Nations. They had asked the IOC to ensure that athletes were not discriminated against based on their nationality.
The legal expert Patricia Wiater from the Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg commissioned by the DOSB comes to a different view. “The exclusion of Russian athletes from international sports competitions, despite the associated unequal treatment on the basis of nationality, cannot be classified as a violation of international bans on discrimination and is therefore permissible.”, she wrote.
There are several “legitimate purposes”, which can be pursued with an exclusion. are an aspect “peace policy reasons”if an exclusion of the respective athletes “aims to counter the war propaganda instrumentalization of sporting events and thereby contribute to the de-escalation of aggressive war”.
International Fencing Federation with a German vote for re-admission
The International Fencing Federation (FIE) recently advocated allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete again.
As the sports show learned from several sources, the presidency of the German Fencing Federation (DFB) had given its President Claudia Bokel at a meeting before the extraordinary congress of the International Fencing Federation FIE to vote for the re-admission of individual athletes. On the other hand, Bokel should vote “no” when asked whether teams and officials are allowed to participate again.
The German fencer Lea Krüger criticized the re-admission. “I definitely would have wished that the DFB had condemned the decision of the world association more strongly.” Above all, as a member of the executive committee of the athletes’ representation in Germany, she criticizes the fact that the active fencers were not involved. “The decisions were made without even talking to us”said Krueger.
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