Nine EU nations urge funding cut for sports bodies including IOC over readmitting Russians
The countries want the IOC, World Aquatics and the International Fencing Federation excluded from Erasmus+ after Russia’s Olympic suspension was eased.
- On Tuesday, nine European nations asked the European Union to cut funding to the International Olympic Committee and other sports bodies that allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition, Estonia's ministry of culture confirmed.
- Addressed to European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef, the nine European nations wrote: "Respect for human rights, the rule of law, and peaceful relations between nations are among the core principles underpinning international sport and the Olympic movement."
- The statement said: "Any assertions that sport can be separated from politics ring hollow when thousands of innocent Ukrainians have lost their lives and when sport continues to be instrumentalised by the Russian and Belarusian regimes."
- Beyond stripping financial support, the nine countries proposed excluding World Aquatics and the International Fencing Federation from EU-led development discussions and Erasmus programs, marking the strongest collective push yet by EU member states.
- This action sets up a potential confrontation between European governments and the Olympic movement ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The IOC, World Aquatics, and FIE did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
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16 Articles
Nine European countries, including Lithuania, on Tuesday called on the European Commission (EC) to suspend funding programs for international sports organizations that allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in competitions.
Nine EU nations urge funding cut for sports bodies including IOC over ...
EU Nations Challenge IOC Over Russian Athlete Inclusion | Sports-Games
Nine European countries have urged the EU to stop funding sports organizations allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes, in protest against these nations' participation. The move, primarily aimed at the IOC, seeks to exclude such bodies from financial programs due to the violation of human rights and political neutrality principles.
Nine European countries have approached the European Commission to exclude the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from funding programmes because of the decision to allow athletes from Russia to be selected for the 2028 Olympics.
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