The International Olympic Committee (IOC) did not allow athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in 2023 Asian Games. This was reported to Indian Express by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
“There will be no Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Asian Games. This is the decision of the IOC, not the Olympic Council of Asia,” the OCA told the publication.
The IOC called the idea of participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus in the Asian Games “technically unfeasible”, without explaining the reasons.
In July, the sports publication Inside the Games wrote that 500 athletes from Russia and Belarus will be able to take part in the Asian Games, which will be held from September 23 to October 8 in the Chinese city of Hangzhou. This would allow athletes to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
After the start of the war in Ukraine, the International Olympic Committee recommended that sports federations and competition organizers not allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in them.