UK talks to Games sponsors to pressure IOC against returning Russian athletes: report

Newspaper Guardian This Friday (10), already published in Great Britain on Saturday, said the government UK He wrote a letter to the major sponsors of the Olympic Games, asking them to put pressure on the IOC (International Olympic Committee). Against the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes Participation in international competitions and Paris-2024.

Sponsoring companies include Samsung, Visa, Intel and Coca-Cola. In the letter, the British government said it was using sports as propaganda in both countries.

“We know that sport and politics are strongly intertwined in Russia and Belarus, and we are determined that neither regime should be allowed to use sport as propaganda.”

“We do not agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to return to competition until substantial clarity and concrete details are addressed regarding our concerns and a possible ‘neutral’ model,” the letter added.

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In February, the IOC welcomed athletes from both countries to compete in the Games in Asia, but did not say whether it would release them to compete under a neutral flag.

Their participation was rejected by several countries and Ukraine threatened to boycott the games if it happened.