German Interior Minister Nancy Feiser expressed her critical attitude towards the intentions of the IOC to return Russian athletes to the international arena. The official threatened athletes from the Russian Federation with a ban on entry into the country, the publication reported on April 10 Berliner Zeitung.
“Countries hosting major sporting events are not powerless. They can influence through the visa departments whether Russians will participate. If we organize international competitions in Germany, we can act accordingly. We will always act with a clear position” , Feiser emphasized.
On March 30, the head of the IOC, Thomas Bach, said that states that oppose the participation of athletes from the Russian Federation and Belarus in international tournaments grossly disregard the opinion of UN special representatives on the issue of athletes’ rights. Recall that the IOC has not yet made a decision regarding the admission of Russians to the upcoming Olympic Games, however, on March 28, it recommended that they be allowed to participate in various international competitions, subject to the condemnation of the special operation in Ukraine. The ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in competitions in team sports also remained in force.
