MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) yielded to the political climate by suspending the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), thus losing its credibility as an independent organization, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) until further notice after the Russian organization included the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as its members.
"By making this decision, the IOC demonstrates it has been completely subjugated to the political and business environment, losing its credibility and autonomy," the Russian Sports Ministry quoted Matytsin as saying in a statement.
"There are still no clear-cut criteria for admitting Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Games, while various international sports federations make up their own rules, ignoring the IOC recommendations," Matytsin said.
"This proves that as it is today, the International Olympic Committee neither represents nor protects the interests of world sport and athletes, doing considerable damage to its reputation and credibility as an international regulator," Russia’s sports chief said.
"The DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions are regions of the Russian Federation and their athletes are entitled to equal opportunities to participate in competitions on the territory of Russia and as part of the national team," Matytsin stated.
"We are providing for the all necessary conditions to make them part of the national sport system with all required social guarantees," the Russian sports minister added.
The IOC announced in its statement earlier on Thursday that "The Russian Olympic Committee is suspended with immediate effect until further notice."
According to the IOC, the ROC’s inclusion of new Olympic councils from Russia’s new regions "violates the territorial integrity of the NOC [the National Olympic Committee] of Ukraine."
"The Russian Olympic Committee is no longer entitled to operate as a National Olympic Committee, as defined in the Olympic Charter, and cannot receive any funding from the Olympic Movement," according to the document.
The IOC also stated that it reserved the right to decide whether to let Russian athletes compete as neutrals in the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and 2026 Winter Games.
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"The DPR, LPR, Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions are regions of the Russian Federation and their athletes are entitled to equal opportunities to participate in competitions on the territory of Russia and as part of the national team," Matytsin said. We are providing for the all necessary conditions to make them part of the national sport system with all required social guarantees.".