MOSCOW, April 4 Deputy Head of the State Duma Sports Committee Sergey Burlakov named the Minister's statements sports and tourism of Poland Kamil Bortnichuk about the exclusion of Russians from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by undisguised blackmail, appropriate in the gateway, and not at the EU Council, where he said them. Bortnichuk at a meeting of the EU Council for Education, Youth, Culture and Sports (EYCS ) advocated expelling all Russians from the IOC and all international sports federations. «I believe that a person making such statements simply cannot hold the post of Minister of Sports of a civilized and modern country. Undisguised blackmail is appropriate in the gateway, but certainly similar statements have no place at a meeting of the EU Council,” Burlakov said. The deputy noted that Bortnichuk’s attitude to the European Sports Charter and the Olympic Charter is an interesting issue. The IOC spans five continents and brings together athletes from all over the world. Sports are one of the human rights. Everyone should be able to play sports without being discriminated against.» And here is a quote from the European sports charter: «The European structure for the development of sports is based on the concepts of democracy, the rule of law, human rights and ethical principles,» the parliamentarian said.
