Voices
in
Japan

poll

Should Russian and Belarussian athletes be allowed to compete in the Olympics and other international sporting events?

40 Comments
© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

40 Comments
Login to comment

Yes, they should be allowed to compete, because international sporting events are for the best athletes regardless of what those athletes' governments are doing. Country flags shouldn't even appear and medal counts should not be kept by country: athletes and results only.

3 ( +29 / -26 )

They should be allowed to compete, just not under the Russian flag. The country of Russia should not be allowed to be represented on the world stage. Russia decided it's going to play by its own rules, so Russia can play by itself.

But the athletes are welcome under other flags. They are not responsible for their nation's policies.

-6 ( +16 / -22 )

No. I think banning them sends a strong message that Russia's aggression is not tolerable.

16 ( +33 / -17 )

Nope,

Nothing short of banning will send the government the message that states sponsored doping and unilateral changing of borders is not acceptable.

Get a different passport or stay home because your country is beyond the pale.

15 ( +31 / -16 )

As long as they are 'clean’

This needs to be addressed even before discussing the political aspect.

The cheating was on an industrial scale.

Something rotten in the rotting state of Russia.

15 ( +26 / -11 )

Like I said a few days ago (and I was heavily downvoted for that), even if they compete under the IOC flag or a neutral flag, their name will always be associated with Russia… and Russia needs to be punished(!); yes, it’s sad for the athletes, but do you know what else is sad? The killing of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

My answer is no.

13 ( +23 / -10 )

I'm in the middle, only allowing qualified individuals to join events.

But the most serious problem is actually not related to the invasion but the prevailing doping culture and state-led cover-up programmes among Russian top sport elites. Much has since long remained unresolved, no progress or reforms shown, despite repeated inquiry requests and warnings by international watchdog agencies such as the WADA. On that ground, I suggest that any Russian nationals involved in doping programmes be banned completely from international competitions.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Belarus should be able to but not Russia.

Belarus wasn't found guilty of state sponsored doping and coverups like Russia was which is directly related to athletics.

Belarus shouldn't be banned from a sporting event because of their support for Russia in their war against Ukraine.

-10 ( +8 / -18 )

NO! NO!! NO!!!

Russia & Belarus must not be allowed to compete in the Olympics 2024.

10 ( +25 / -15 )

The only condition they should be allowed to compete is when Russia is driven out of the Crimea and all parts of Ukraine before end of 2023.

8 ( +17 / -9 )

I think I agree with those who say Russia and Belarus should not be banned because of war. That does set a bad precedent. But Russia cannot be allowed to be represented at the Olympics for being cheaters, which I've been saying since before the war.

-4 ( +11 / -15 )

Yes, they can participate as individuals, of course, because they don’t represent their country. If they would represent their country, they wouldn’t go outside now, stop their sports and put a uniform on for fighting. Do you know a country or historical era, where they didn’t select the most powerful athletes for serving as fighters at the front, but sent only weaker ones and the strongest ones instead into all directions out of the country? That has happened not even once in all history. Therefore we can assume that they don’t fully support their country and prefer their sports as individuals. So nothing against their participation in matches and contests, because those are just there to find the best sports people on the planet, aren’t they?

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

Stranger: the athletes are welcome under other flags. They are not responsible for their nation's policies

No, under no flag, These competitors are Putin Flunkies, there to take up the spots other have oppose Putin and were not allow by Putin supporter. To allow these competitor you are siding with Putin.

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

Politics has NO PLACE in sport. The Olympics should not be viewed as a proxy for War or as the sole ownership of certain political cliques that choose to dictate who, in Humanity, 'deserves' to participate in what is, ideally, a panHuman activity. Those who would add politics to the Olympics are the enemies of the MEANING of the Olympics and, in furthering hostility and alienation, the enemies of us all...

-8 ( +6 / -14 )

yes of course.dont mix politics and sport.

-5 ( +7 / -12 )

If you want to removal nationalism from the Games, then no flags should be allowed. If that happens, they won’t able to raise sufficient funds to hold the Games and athletes from less wealthy nations will be unable to attend.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Yes, after they leave said countries for good.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

No!

Politics/nationalism has always been part of sport!!!

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

Categorically no.

The russian people are complicit in their governments actions, they are not objecting or demonstrating against the invasion. The majority support the war and those complaining are not objecting to their army killing Ukrainians only at their or their relatives being conscripted to fight. There is no real opposition to the invasion or the genocidal policies being continuously expounded by poo tin and his acolytes.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Nope! Even if you play under a neutral flag, the home country still gets its buzz. The Olympics or FIFA want to say politics should be out of sport, but I guess they didn't tell the governments giving them a nudge nudge wink wink to get their events. I guess another way to look at it is, Should the olympics FIFA, be tacitly supporting the country they represent? Politics shouldn't be in sport, but I guess when a soccer player is inprisoned in Iran, or and other gay athletes that stand up for certain rights in their own country, A chess player doesnt wear a hijab, the karate champion executed, that FIFA, and the Olympics just say...pu! Not our problem mate! We're in it for the money! But then again, I guess if you're a minority, black, Lesbian, basketball player from the NBA USA...mountains move for them. I guess the most famous athlete I can think of that was imprisoned for refusing the draft. I guess politics sure came in then. Your pretty much out of luck if your from another country. Cause FIFA et al ain't gonna help! I wonder would we have let Hitlers Germany host the Olympics if we knew about the concentration camps and what they'd become? I guess we turned a blind eye to china too.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

It would be nice if anyone could compete without connection to their country, but. Even if theres no flag, people will still know they are from belarus or russia, right? Until the war is not over and proper apologies are not given, no.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

All athletes should be allowed to compete, just without the drugs, flags and lurid nationalistic tunes. Now is surely the time to reboot the Olympic spirit of individual sporting excellence which is all that should be celebrated: nationalism is sooo 20th century.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

So we ban Russian athletes for their governments actions but allow western countries to commit mass acts of genocide with 0 repercussions? If The Hague was actually an independent entity the US and UK governments would have been found guilty of war crimes. Different strokes for different folks. And to hold athletes accountable when they've spent there lives and specifically 5-6 years to peak in order to perform at the olympics is cruel.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

So we ban Russian athletes for their governments actions

No, we should ban Russia for running state-sponsored doping programs to cheat at the Olympics. They don't want to play fair. And we don't ban the athletes - they can come, but they cannot represent Russia nor show the Russian flag, nor hear the Russian anthem if they win.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

If they get to participate, they may defect from those nasty places.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

yes why not?

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

It must be admitted that the campaign to discredit Russian sports was successful. Bravo! But what does Belarus have to do with it? Laugh clowns. What has figure skating become without Russians? The last European Championship without Russian girls is a pathetic joke. Yes, we must admit unequivocally, with the flag. And this one is even if the Russians forgive the harassment

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Australian Open got it right , as I hope Wimbledon and the Olympics will - Compete as individuals. No mention of country whatsoever and agreement from said Athletes not to display any reference their birthplace.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Why not? The US and Israel were never prevented from participating, so why should Russia?

1 ( +8 / -7 )

If Russia had of invaded Iraq and killed hundreds of thousand based on the proven wmd lies they would have been banned as well yet the great U.S. of A has no such problems…double standards much?

2 ( +7 / -5 )

If Russia had of invaded Iraq and killed hundreds of thousand based on the proven wmd lies they would have been banned as well yet the great U.S. of A has no such problems…double standards much?

BIGTIME.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

YES again.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

I don't believe in collective guilt nor punishment, so let the athletes compete. It's not their fault they have a Putin for President.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Yes, because the athletes are young people who've worked hard their whole lives for the wonderful chance to be in the Olympics. We can't blame them for their looney president and his actions...

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Of course.

Shouldn't even be a question

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Keep politics out of sports.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

So all the no!

Should we apply the same to the USA?

It invaded several countries and never had to pay for those,

Seems only fair if we are going to punish Russia now shouldn't we get the USA to pay for all their past invasions.

Vietnam, the things they did to Cambodia, Iraq, etc..

Funny how suddenly such things are no longer acceptable when it isn't the USA.

And no this is not whataboutism it is why one but not the other it is about a double standard.

The entire point of the Olympics was to leave out politics and even enemies come to compete under a truce.

The warring Greek States would travel to compete despite being at war with each other.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

People say that we shouldn't mix sports with politics. It's a clever soundbite that has no relevance to the issues we are facing today. The fact is that "war, peace, violence, human sacrifice, justice, torture, genocide (and more)" are MUCH MUCH more important than sports. Would you have welcomed athletes from Germany (under another flag) if you knew, at the time, that Germany was exterminating Jews? I would rather that the Olympics are suspended for one hundred years, and that sports on any professional or "amateur" level were completely eliminated for five generations, than to have one more human sacrificed in the name of this war of aggression. Athletes from Russia or Belorussia should never be allowed to compete in the Olympics until they have received citizenship from another country.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites