IOC chief Bach calls on sports federations to continue sanctions against Russia
MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach called on all international sports federations to follow recommendations to impose sanctions against athletes from Russia and Belarus, the InsideTheGames sports web portal reported on Tuesday.
IOC chief Bach was unable to attend the International Sports Federations Forum in Lausanne this week and his address to the participants was voiced by IOC vice-president Ser Miang.
"The sanctions against the Russian and Belarusian Governments must, and will, remain firmly in place," InsideTheGames quoted Miang as saying, reading an address from Thomas Bach.
"The recommendation that you, the International Federations, do not recognise sports competitions in Russia and Belarus and that no national symbols whatsoever of these countries are displayed at any sports events must remain," according to the IOC chief’s statement.
On February 28, the International Olympic Committee issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.
Following the IOC recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.
In mid-October, IOC President Thomas Bach announced that the Olympic body recommended keeping athletes from Russia and Belarus suspended from international sports tournaments.