This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
Russian and Belarusian athletes will be allowed to participate in this year’s Asian Games despite Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on January 26. “All athletes, regardless of their nationality or the passport they hold, should be able to compete in sports competitions,” the OCA said in a statement. The International Olympic Committee had said on January 25 that the presence of Russians at next year’s Paris Olympics should be “further explored” despite calls from Ukraine for them to be excluded.
