In the discussion about the return of Russian athletes, the Polish sports minister brought up a possible ultimatum against the IOC. The question could be: “Either Russia or us.”
In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Minister of Sport Kamil Bortniczuk confirmed that the international sports community is not seeking a boycott of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. But games without Ukraine are not the goal either. “We want to celebrate the Olympic Games without Russia and Belarus. Maybe we have to give an ultimatum – either Russia or us”said Bortniczuk.
“We sports ministers can hardly be expected to remain silent when we see the IOC’s attempts to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return. You can’t completely isolate the sports world from the war.”said Bortniczuk.
Initiative from 35 countries to exclude Russia and Belarus
Most recently, at the initiative of Great Britain, sports politicians from 35 countries called for the exclusion of athletes from Russia and Belarus from the Paris Games at a video conference because of the Russian war against Ukraine.
In doing so, they reacted to the fact that the International Olympic Committee (IOC), led by the German Thomas Bach, was looking for ways to allow athletes from the two countries mentioned to start as neutral athletes in international competitions.