Almost 500 Russian and Belarusian athletes allowed to compete at 2023 Asian Games

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Saturday approved the participation of up to 500 Russian and Belarusian athletes at this year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, the Bangkok Post reports. 

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine the athletes from both countries were banned from major international competitions. That is why they will compete under a neutral flag in individual events and will not be eligible for medals at the Asian Games.

However, the move will pave the way for Russian and Belarusian qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

It will be up to the governing bodies of each of the 31 sports on the programme for Paris 2024 to decide whether they allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in the event, according to Inside The Games, a specialized media about Olympic sports.

The prospect of Russian and Belarusian athletes taking part in the Asian Games first emerged in January this year as the IOC wanted them to compete at the Paris Olympics.

The 2023 Asian Games will kick off in Hangzhou from September 23 and conclude on October 8.

Controversy regarding the possible participation of Russians and Belarusians in the 2024 Paris Olympics

On January 27, IOC chief Thomas Bach said he supports the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Olympics, despite Ukraine's threats to boycott.

On January 31, Ukrainian boxer Wladimir Klitschko said that admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the Olympics is "betrayal of the Olympic spirit" and a "monumental mistake". “They have a gold medal in the deportation of children and rape of women,” he pointed out.

On February 1, the International Olympic Committee announced that it would maintain the sanctions against Russian and Belarusian athletes that were approved in December 2022.

Former coach of the Ukrainian national football team Andriy Shevchenko has appealed to the IOC and urged to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions until the war in Ukraine is over.

On February 3, Poland and the Baltic states issued a joint statement opposing the return of Russians and Belarusians to the Olympics. On February 7, they were joined by five Scandinavian countries.

On February 6, the Verkhovna Rada called on the IOC to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2024 Games in Paris.

On February 10, a summit of 35 countries took place in the United Kingdom, calling for the banning of Russians from the 2024 Olympics, which was supported by Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his speech at the meeting.

On February 20, 34 countries supported the demand to suspend athletes from Russia and Belarus from the Olympics.

On February 21, the IOC called the European Parliament's resolution demanding the suspension of Russians and Belarusians from international competitions contrary to the mission of the Olympic Games.

On March 30, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers decided that Ukrainian athletes would boycott tournaments featuring athletes from Russia or Belarus. 

On April 25, PACE President Tiny Kox called it unacceptable for Russians and Belarusians to participate in the 2024 Olympics because of Russia's war against Ukraine.

Later, Andriy Chesnokov, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine for European Integration, said that Ukrainian athletes would be allowed to compete individually at the 2024 Olympics if the Ukrainian national team boycotted the Games because of the possible admission of Russians and Belarusians.

On June 23, PACE adopted a resolution calling on the IOC to ban athletes from Belarus and Russia from the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris in 2024, even under a neutral flag.