Milan, 20 Nov. (LaPresse) – ‘In recent years, Russia has accustomed us not only to aggression, but also to provocation and attempts at destabilisation. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that Russia, together with Belarus, has been disqualified again after the state doping scandal because, between the end of the Olympics and the start of the Paralympics in Beijing in 2022, it violently attacked Ukraine.’ This was stated by the Minister of Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, during the Rcs Academy's Sport Industry Talk event in Milan. ‘If it becomes difficult to get the weapons laid down during the Olympics, we have done well to bring together almost 140 countries at the UN for the Olympic Truce, demonstrating what sport can do through the quiet work of diplomacy,’ he added. ‘I also think it is responsible to allow athletes, without a jersey or flag, without complicity with the Russian government, to participate. Because there are also athletes who have taken sides, and in this case, we could only say that they could not be among us,’ he continued. ‘What is surprising is that the International Paralympic Committee has decided to proceed independently by welcoming back Russian and Belarusian athletes. It is an assessment that has been expressed by all of us, namely surprise mixed with bewilderment. Faced with phenomena of this kind, I believe that sport needs to move as a community, and the unity of sport also depends on choices of this kind,’ concluded Abodi.
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