The South Korean Sports and Olympic Committee (KSOC) intends to contact the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) for further clarification regarding the potential participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Asian Games, to be held at the end of 2023. in China.
As MK previously reported, in December 2022, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) made a proposal at the Olympic Summit in Lausanne to promote the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in competitions under its auspices. The representatives of the international federations present supported this initiative. On January 25, 2023, the OCA again invited Russia and Belarus to participate in the Asian Games, which will be held from September 23 to October 8 in China. The OCA also confirmed its position in the Executive Committee of the International Olympic Committee on January 25, 2023, when the IOC formulated specific requirements for the eventual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions.
As expected, not all National Olympic Committees of OCA member countries agreed with this position. According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, KSOC intends to send a letter to the OCA to find out how the Asian Games will take place with the participation of athletes from both countries.
Separately, a KSOC spokesperson told Yonhap that the OCA did not consult on the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in the tournament. Therefore, KSOC will request answers from the continental organization.
“With the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes, holding knockout tournaments at the Asian Games may pose some problems. We will ask the OCA how it will act in these situations, as well as in which sports the Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete at the Asian Games,” a KSOC spokesperson said.
Earlier, OCA Acting President Randhir Singh said a system was being worked out to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete for Olympic Games qualification spots next year, but promised that Asian athletes would not run out of medals and quotas for Paris 2024.
Singh suggested that separate medals could be awarded to athletes from Asian countries if Russian and Belarusian athletes deprive them of their place on the podium.
The Indian official also said that they will not be able to participate in combat sports such as wrestling in the Asian Games.
Singh said the reason the OCA invited athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in its event is based on “the principle that sport is a unifying force.”
“Sport is not a place for politics. Sport for sportsmen, for love, friendship and brotherhood. Athletes are a family. “Based on that, we support them,” Singh told the Indian Express.
South Korea is third in the all-time Asian Games medal table and came in the top three at Jakarta-Palembang 2018 with 177 medals including 49 gold.
