Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanks the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for supporting a ban on Russian teams and athletes in several sports.
“As long as Russia tries to kill the Ukrainian people and conquer other European countries, its representatives have no place in the sports world,” Zelensky said in a meeting with IOC President Thomas Bach in Kyiv on Sunday.
Zelensky thanked Bach for his “unwavering stance” on sporting sanctions against Russia and Belarus. Bach insists that it is necessary to protect the integrity of the sporting events and the safety of the athletes.
Russian teams have been removed from over 15 football tournaments, including the World Cup qualifiers in football for both women and men. The Russians have also been banned from most Olympic sports.
In the meeting between Bach and the Ukrainian president, Zelensky told about how Russia’s acts of war have affected Ukrainian athletes and coaches. A total of 89 athletes and coaches have been killed, while another 13 have been captured by the Russians, Zelenskyj says.
(NTB)
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