International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach has cited the case of Wimbledon’s ban on Russian and Belarusian players while cautioning against political interference in sport, but again attempted to justify the measures his organization has recommended against the two countries.
Speaking at the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) General Assembly in Lausanne on Wednesday, Bach warned that governments must not pursue political interests through sport.
The IOC chief gave the example of tennis, where Russian and Belarusian players were free to compete at the recent French Open, but will not be able to do so at the next Grand Slam at Wimbledon after organizers declared them personae non grata and argued the step was aligned with UK government policy.
The men’s ATP and men’s WTA tours have criticized the ban and have removed rankings points from this year’s Wimbledon in response.
“In Paris, Russian players can play as neutral athletes; in London, at Wimbledon, the government is saying ‘no way’. And if we allow this, if we give in to this, then we are lost,” Bach told his audience in Switzerland.
“How can you guarantee then, in your sport, a fair international competition if the governments are deciding according to their own political interests, who can take part in a competition and who cannot take part?
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