The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Saturday approved the participation of up to 500 Russian and Belarusian athletes without national symbols at this year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The move is aimed at helping the athletes qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics at a time when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to many sporting events barring Russian and Belarusian competitors. They will compete only in individual events and will not be eligible for medals at the Asian Games.
In January, the International Olympic Committee outlined a roadmap for Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris and at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The OCA has since expressed its intention to accept the athletes at the Asian Games.
Ukraine has led a group of countries voicing opposition to such a move by the IOC.
International sports federations have been forced to make decisions after the IOC advised them to limit the participation from Russia and Belarus to “neutral” athletes.
The Russian Olympic Committee expressed firm opposition to the strict condition imposed on their athletes’ return to competition, saying it amounts to discriminatory treatment based on nationality.
The Asian Games Hangzhou 2022, as they are still officially known, were originally scheduled for September last year but were postponed because Covid restrictions were still in place across China.
The Games were subsequently rescheduled to be held from Sept 23 to Oct 8 this year. The official ticketing website for the Games opened on Saturday.
