Olympic games to end if politics get involved - IOC president

MOSCOW: The Olympic Games will end if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) abolishes its political neutrality, IOC President Thomas Bach told journalists.

On Wednesday, Canada announced its decision to join the diplomatic boycott of the upcoming Olympic Games in China, like the US, the UK and Australia did earlier, in protest against the alleged violations of human rights in China, according to report by Russian news agency (TASS).

"By not commenting on political issues, you're not taking sides," Bach said, commenting on the recent developments. "Otherwise we could not manage to accomplish our mission - to unite the world; we would never get all 206 national Olympic committees to Olympic Games. This would be the politicisation of the Olympic Games."

"It could even be the end of the Olympic Games, as it was the end of the ancient Olympic Games, when politics got involved after 1,000 years, when the Roman emperor intervened.

"It was the end of the Games. The Ancient Greeks already knew that the Games need this political neutrality to exist, and this has not change, it has even become more important," he said.

The Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing between Feb 4 and 20, 2022.

-- BERNAMA