Japan may admit North Korean athletes

Japan will consider allowing North Korean athletes into the country to compete in the 2020 Olympics despite sanctions currently banning any from entering Japan, their Olympics minister said. North Korean athletes took part in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics held in neighbouring South Korea, with the two nations fielding a unified team in women’s ice hockey and one pair of North Korean figure skaters qualifying. North and South Korea have told the International Olympic Committee they would like to march together in Tokyo, and have also officially requested to enter joint teams in the qualifying process for four sports - women’s basketball, women’s hockey, the judo mixed team event and men’s and women’s rowing teams.