Thomas Bach told the G20 summit that sport must be kept separate from politics
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has told world leaders at the G20 summit in Indonesia that sport must be permitted to proceed to unite people in “peaceful competition without any discrimination.”
Speaking in a year in which global sport has, some might say, become entangled in a political sphere due to the conflict in Ukraine, as well as pushback against perceived discrimination ahead of this month’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Bach said in a speech that the primary objective of the Olympic and Paralympic Games was to “[bring] the whole world together in peaceful competition.”
The IOC was firm-voiced in its crusade to impose sporting restrictions on teams and athletes from both Russia and Belarus in the wake of the launch of Russia’s military action in Ukraine in late February – a stance which compelled several other sporting federations to follow suit.
But Bach has now preached caution, suggesting that swinging the pendulum too far in one direction might lead to undesirable consequences being imposed on global sport.
International #Olympic Committee Head: all countries must take part in #OlympicGames — he condemns #Russian athletes' suspension
Thomas Bach messaged participants of the #G20Indonesia summit urging leaders to depoliticize #sport pic.twitter.com/qTtP4Ytb5o
— Readovka World (@ReadovkaWorld) November 15, 2022