Nordic sports leaders against Russia, Belarus ban withdrawal

Leaders of the Nordic sport organisations said that it will be unacceptable to open up for Russian and Belarusian international sports participation, said the Finnish Olympic Committee in a press release on Friday.

“We stand firmly in our position. Now is not the right time to consider their return,” leaders of the organisations said in a statement issued at the end of their annual meeting held in Oslo on Thursday and Friday.

The Nordic Olympic Committees, Paralympic Committees and Sports Confederations find the Russian invasion of Ukraine to be a blatant breach of international law.

“We call upon the Olympic and Paralympic Movement and all international sports organisations to continue to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people and the demand for peace. We give our full support to the recommendations of no participation of all Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international sports,” said the leaders in the statement.