IOC Offers Financial Support to Ukranian Olympic Movement
23rd March 2022
Last modified on March 27th, 2022
The International Olympic Committee has set up a solidarity fund and pledged an initial $200,000 (£150,000) following the Russian invasion of the country.
The IOC said the funding would go towards the provision of shelter and services such as transport, logistics, accommodation, nutrition, medicine and general humanitarian aid in “safer areas”.
It will also include money for athletes, coaches and families to leave the country where possible.
The Ukraine Olympic Committee will be responsible for distributing the funds.
The IOC has recommended the exclusion of Russian and Belarusian athletes from international events.
The IOC said that normally it would not punish athletes for the decisions of a Government if they are not actively participating in those actions.
However it felt the war in Ukraine was exceptional circumstance in order to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all participants”.
Numerous International Federations have now implemented the IOC’s recommendations meaning Russia and Belarus are largely unable to take part in international sport.
The Russian Olympic Committee has said the IOC recommendations “grossly violate” the principles of the Olympic Movement.
It said the recommendations did not have legal basis.
The IOC President, Thomas Bach, said the Olympic Movement “will not fall into the trap of the cheap argument that this would be a politicisation of sport, going against the Olympic Charter which requires political neutrality”.
It is expected that more funds will be made available by the IOC.
