Russian officials are in South Korea for an assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC)
A Russian delegation has arrived for an assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in South Korea, determined to play a full part in proceedings despite boycott threats from some Western countries.
Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) president Stanislav Pozdnyakov is heading the group from his country which is attending the ANOC General Assembly being held in Seoul from October 18 to 21.
The ROC shared images of early proceedings on its Telegram channel on Tuesday, writing: “The delegation of the Russian Olympic Committee is taking part in person in the work of the XXVI General Assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) in Seoul.
“ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov is participating in the meeting of the ANOC Executive Committee right now.”
Officials from the ROC and the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Belarus (NOCRB) have not been directly sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), despite the global governing body recommending a ban on all athletes from the two countries because of the conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian and Belarusian presence in Seoul has triggered an angry reaction from some quarters, with Latvia threatening a direct boycott while a number of Western counterparts have expressed their dissatisfaction, according to Inside the Games.
However, ROC president Pozdnyakov stressed earlier this month that his organization has remained in regular contact with the IOC, even in the face of the controversial sanctions imposed against Russian athletes across numerous sports.