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Attempts to erase Russia from global sports landscape futile, says diplomat

According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, "it should be clear to everyone, including those who speak for high moral principles and push for the independence of sports from politics"

MOSCOW, January 27. /TASS/. All attempts aimed at ousting Russia from international sports tournaments are doomed to fail, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

"There are obvious attempts to squeeze our country out of international sports," Zakharova told a news briefing on Friday, adding that such attempts on behalf of the IOC were bound to be useless.

"It should be clear to everyone, including those who speak for high moral principles and push for the independence of sports from politics," she said.

Earlier this week, the IOC Executive Board put forward a proposal to allow individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Athletes from the countries in question should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status.

On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.

Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.

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