“We want to give the opportunity to speak”: in Asia they intend to develop a quota system for the selection of Russians for the Olympics-2024

Recently, the participation of Russian athletes in the 2024 Olympics in Paris seemed unlikely.

However, now they will probably still get the opportunity to qualify for them.

Such a chance will appear thanks to the initiative of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).

The acting president of the organization, Randhir Singh, said that domestic athletes will be able to compete for quotas in local tournaments.

According to him, the corresponding scheme is currently being developed jointly with the IOC and international federations for various types.

“The idea is to give athletes the opportunity to compete and not miss the Paris Olympics.

Sport is not a place for politics.

Sport is for athletes, love, friendship and brotherhood.

Athletes are one family.

Based on this, we support them, ”the Indianexpress quotes the functionary.

At the same time, it is not completely clear how the quotas will be distributed.

Singh assured that the Russians and Belarusians will compete without claiming those that were originally allocated to the continent.

“There will be no interference from them in our system of distribution of medals and Asian quotas for the Olympic Games.

The IOC will develop the quota policy together with us at the level of the OCA and the international federations,” added the head.

He explained that domestic athletes will be able to compete for getting into the Olympics in those types where the winner is determined based on a clear quantitative indicator.

In knock-out competitions, for example, boxing, they will not get such an opportunity, so as not to take away quotas from local rivals.

“We are developing a philosophy whereby they will be able to compete in events that can be quantified.

Not in combat, such as, for example, martial arts.

If our fighter from an Asian country is knocked out in the first round, we will miss the chance to qualify.

However, if there is a points system, as in athletics, shooting, then they will be able to compete in such sports.

Now all these issues are being worked out, ”the functionary emphasized.

Singh also spoke about the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the Asian Games and other continental competitions.

He noted that they will have to act in a neutral status.

Also, all athletes will undergo a special doping control.

In addition, the issue of awarding medals is still being resolved.

At the same time, the functionary, foreseeing dissatisfaction with such a step, said that politics should not influence such issues.

In his opinion, competitions in Asia are based on the principle that sport is a unifying force.

However, the topic with the possible admission of Russians and Belarusians began to unwind even earlier.

On Friday, Thomas Bach made it clear that he welcomed the admission of athletes who did not publicly support the CBO in Ukraine, albeit in a neutral status.

“This is not in line with the values ​​and mission of the Olympic Charter to exclude athletes on the basis of their passport.

Perhaps Russian and Belarusian athletes could compete under a neutral flag at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, ”Bach Spiegel quotes.

According to him, this point of view is shared by the majority of members of the organization, as well as representatives of the federations.

The official recalled that the mission of the IOC, among other things, is to unite athletes from different countries.

Bach recalled that the most severe sanctions are still in force against Russia, and those who spoke in favor of holding an NWO will not get the opportunity to compete with everyone.

Summing up, the head stressed that the issue of admission of domestic athletes is still under discussion.

A similar point of view was expressed by the former head and founder of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Richard Pound.

In his opinion, the removal of people who did not support the war is an undeserved insult towards them.

“They didn’t vote for it and they don’t participate in it.

And you would like to say, look, something is happening out there in the real world.

But I think sport should remain a positive example.

We have to encourage people to meet and compete with each other.

Because in exactly the same way I learned in 1960 in Rome that Soviet athletes were not those terrible misers that propaganda described them to us.

It's all a cultural exchange and an educational process that has tremendous value," Pound said on the Keep the Flame Alive audio podcast.

As for the Asian tournaments, Russia received an official invitation to participate in the Asian Games from the Olympic Council of the continent.

The organization supported the IOC in an effort to gradually lift sanctions.

The games will be held this year in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8.

They were originally supposed to take place last year, but were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

By the way, the NOC of China previously also publicly supported the admission of Russians and Belarusians to tournaments in a neutral status.

It is important that the Asian Games are qualifying for the Olympic Games in Paris in a number of ways.

In particular, quotas will be played in archery, boxing, hockey, modern pentathlon and tennis.

At the same time, according to Singh, the invitation of Russians and Belarusians to other continental tournaments is being discussed.

In domestic federations, the proposal to take part in the Asian Games was generally treated positively.

For example, the head of the Russian Wrestling Federation (FSBR), Mikhail Mamiashvili, said that athletes would definitely go there and expressed the hope that the ideals of Olympism would be above pressure and someone's interests.

A similar point of view was expressed by the head of the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF) Andrey Kirilenko.

In his opinion, the opportunity to take part in Asian competitions is better than nothing.

However, not everyone was enthusiastic about this idea.

Thus, the President of the Russian Fencing Federation (FFR), Ilgar Mammadov, announced his readiness to participate only under his own flag and anthem. 

“We are grateful to the Olympic Council of Asia for the invitation.

But, by and large, what does it give?

Competitive practice?

We need to get to the Olympic Games.

We have competitions every month.

We express our gratitude.

But the selection for the Olympic Games begins in April, and the Asian Games are held in September.

We will be happy to participate in them under the Russian flag, as part of our delegation, ”the functionary emphasized.

The State Duma also believes that one should not agree to participate in a neutral status even for the sake of the opportunity to compete.

At the same time, MP Svetlana Zhurova is confident that the OCA will strictly adhere to the recommendations of the IOC in this matter.

“For the OCA, which is the organizational structure for the Asian Games, the IOC is the control and oversight body.

That is, without the IOC, the OSA cannot do anything, it must listen to its opinion.

I think we have been negotiating with the OCA for a long time.

And, apparently, when they agreed, the IOC was informed - at least, I admit that it was so.

And the IOC, half a day before the public announcement that it is ready to accept Russia, issues a list of recommendations and rules by which the national team must act if it wants to be at the Olympic Games, ”Gazeta.ru quotes Zhurova.