Britain appeals to sponsors of 2024 Olympics to prevent Russians and Belarusians from attending the Games

This was reported by The Guardian.

The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sports of Great Britain Lucy Fraser wrote a letter to the key sponsors of the 2024 Olympics asking them to oppose allowing Russians and Belarusians to compete. In particular, Coca-Cola, Intel, Samsung and Visa received the letter.

"We know sport and politics in Russia and Belarus are heavily intertwined, and we are determined that the regimes in Russia and Belarus must not be allowed to use sport for their propaganda purposes," Fraser said in the letter.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international competitions. 

However, in January 2023, IOC President Thomas Bach advocated for their participation in the 2024 Olympics in Paris under a neutral flag. 

For this purpose, Russians and Belarusians were allowed to attend the Asian Games, where they will be able to obtain Olympic licenses.

• On February 9, Thomas Bach said that a boycott of the 2024 Games would be a violation of the Olympic Charter, and called the exclusion of Russians and Belarusians from the competition discrimination.

• On February 20, 34 countries voiced support for the demand to suspend athletes from Russia and Belarus from the Olympics.