Paris 2024, Pancalli: “Threats from Ukraine? Russian athletes have the right to be at the Olympics”

“I always refer to the words of Zelensky at the beginning of the invasion, or that we must distinguish the responsibilities of governments from those of the people“. The president of the Italian Paralympic Committee Luca Pancalli takes a position on the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Games Of Paris 2024. After the opening of the IOC in their presence, without a flag and without anthem, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky attacked the president Thomas Bach and theUkraine he threatened to boycott the Games, also obtaining the support of other countries.

“We addressed the issue during the last general meeting dell’Ipc and we will do it in the next one also in the light of what will be the decisions of the International Olympic Committee. We voted to Bonn the sanctions and the ouster of the Paralympic Committee russo and of that Belarusianbut today there is a discourse that does not concern the Committees but the right of athletes to be there. We will express ourselves in this sense”, Pancalli clarified, answering those who ask him about the threats from Ukraine.

“My position has always been Very blatant – continued Pancalli speaking on the sidelines of the agreement between Cip and Ita Airways – I always refer to Zelensky’s words at the beginning of the invasion, or that we must distinguish the responsibilities of governments from those of the people. Athletes have their right to be able to participateobviously in ways and forms respectfulbut at the same time why the sport must always be a ponte to build dialogue and to favor pathways that have the pace“.

“In all of this – underlined Pancalli – the athletes I think are to be respected in their being athletes, which does not mean not recognizing what is happening e contest it. The world of sport must do something else”. “Risk Games halved? There is, but for this reason I have my own personal idea which I absolutely do not want to ascribe to the International Committee, which will meet to decide with 187 countries“, concluded Pancalli.