Warning about prospect of Olympics boycott

LONDON: Up to 40 countries could boycott the next Olympic Games, making the whole event pointless, Poland’s Minister of Sport and Tourism Kamil Bortniczuk says.

His comments came after Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia jointly rejected an International Olympic Committee (IOC) plan to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete next year. Ukraine has threatened to boycott the Paris Olympics if that occurs.

But the IOC said any boycott would only ‘‘punish athletes’’.

Bortniczuk believed it would be possible to build a coalition of 40 countries, including Great Britain, the United States and Canada, to support a block on the IOC’s plans before a meeting on Friday.

‘‘Considering this, I don’t think we will face tough decisions before the Olympics.

‘‘If we were to boycott the Games, the coalition we will be a part of will be broad enough to make holding the Games pointless,’’ he said.

The IOC announced last week it would ‘‘explore a pathway’’ to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris under a neutral flag.

The move prompted condemnation. The UK government said the plan was a ‘‘world away from the reality of war’’.

Sports ministers from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland said ‘‘any effort by the International Olympic Committee to bring back Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, even under a neutral flag, should be rejected’’.

They called on ‘‘all international sports organisations and federations’’ to remove Russian and Belarusians athletes from international competitions until the war ends.

The IOC reiterated no discussions had yet taken place and warned about the implications of threatening a boycott. — Reuters