South Korea tells how Russians were brazenly 'pushed' to Asian Games

Yonhap reports that the National Olympic Committee of South Korea said that the OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) notified 45 member states of Russia and Belarus' participation in the Asian Games on January 30, without any prior consultation. 

The council explained that 500 athletes from Belarus and the Russian Federation would not participate in the medal draw and would not receive awards. The OCA also promised to ensure that Asian athletes are not disadvantaged in the competition for licenses for the 2024 Olympics.

South Korea's National Olympic Committee said it would demand additional clarification over Russia's permission to participate in the competition.

“With Russian and Belarusian athletes participating, operating knockout events at the Asian Games can pose some problems. We will ask the OCA how it will handle those situations, and also in what sports Russian and Belarusian athletes will compete at the Asian Games,” a KSOC official said.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) banned athletes from Russia and Belarus from participating in international competitions. However, in January 2023, IOC President Thomas Bach spoke in favor of 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.

The Asian Games were supposed to take place in 2022 but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They will be held from September 23 to October 8, 2023 in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.

• On January 27, IOC chief Thomas Bach said he favored the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the 2024 Olympics, despite Ukraine's threats to boycott the Games.

• On January 29, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he had written a letter to French leader Emmanuel Macron over the possible admission of Russians to the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

• The IOC responded to the criticism from the Ukrainian authorities and the sports community, calling it slander.