The Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) supported the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. This was announced on March 4 by her press service.
“The ANOCA Executive Committee, after discussions and recommendations protected by consensus among all participants, has taken the following decision: the participants have unanimously decided to support the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in all international competitions,” the statement reads.
ANOCA President Mustafa Berraf said that his organization supports the position of International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach that Russians and Belarusians should compete under a neutral flag.
“It was emphasized that under no circumstances should athletes be made to pay the high price of any conflict, whatever it may be. ANOCA hopes that the conflict will end and the world will find peace, tranquility and serenity,” the organization also said in a statement.
On January 26, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) invited athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in competitions in Asia, including the Asian Games.
The next day, Bach stated that athletes from Russia and Belarus could also compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics under a neutral flag. He stressed that the boycott of Ukraine, which was threatened by the Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Vadym Gutzeit, does not correspond to the committee’s mission.
Bach also stressed that most members of the sports community regretfully took Ukraine’s attempts to put pressure on them due to the possible admission of athletes from Russia to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
On February 16, the Minister of Sports and Tourism of Poland, Kamil Bortnichuk, announced that Polish athletes would boycott the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris if other arguments did not force the IOC to ban Russians and Belarusians from participating in competitions.
The XXXIII Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024. The organizers of the Olympics confirmed that they intend to follow the decisions of the IOC regarding the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international events.