{"id":165733,"date":"2025-11-26T14:08:26","date_gmt":"2025-11-26T11:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/165733\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T12:05:06","slug":"lukasenkas-son-lobbies-ioc-to-lift-restrictions-on-belarusian-athletes","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/165733\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s son lobbies IOC to lift restrictions on Belarusian athletes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (NOC's press office)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

November 26, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Politics should not affect athletes, Viktar \u0141uka\u0161enka, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s son in charge of the Belarusian National Olympic Committee (NOC), told Kirsty Coventry, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), during a video conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe restrictions have affected not only top-level athletes but also young athletes just beginning their careers in major sports,\u201d the NOC press office quoted him as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The official also expressed hope that the IOC would support the full return of Belarusian athletes to international competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The IOC did not report on the talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the war in Ukraine began in February 2022, the IOC urged sports federations to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes from all competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It later recommended that some of them could be allowed as neutral athletes under certain conditions, such as not supporting the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In December 2023, the IOC allowed neutrals to compete in the 2024 Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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