2018 Winter Olympics PyeongChang: Russian President reacts

MOSCOW: Swiftly reacting to theĀ International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) ban on RussianĀ athletes, the President of RussiaĀ Vladimir Putin said that the Russian athletes will compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics Games to be held next FebruaryĀ in Pyeong Chand, South Korea.

Russian beingĀ aĀ major winter sports forceĀ was banned from participating in February’s 2018Ā Winter Olympics after the IOC found the country had engaged in “systemic manipulation” of anti-doping rules.

Putin disapproved the accusations of the doping plan was sponsored by theĀ Russian stateĀ and said that theĀ ban on theĀ athletes was unfair.

2018 Winter Olympics PyeongChang: Russia banned over doping concerns

According to the RIA news agency, Putin said,”We, without doubt, will not declare a blockade, we will not prevent our Olympians from taking part, if one of them wants to take part in a personal capacity”.

While announcing that in 2018Ā he willĀ rerun for Presidency, Putin emphasised that most of the athletes, including some he personally knows, haveĀ been preparing for the Winter Olympics 2018. He added,Ā “This is very important for them,”. “Based on these considerations, of course, we will not forbid anything to anyone, block anything, making any impossible conditions for participation.”

The Russian President stressed that the ban was based onĀ a politically motivated decision, saying: “It all looks like an absolutely staged and politically motivated decision. We see this, for me there is no doubt about it.”

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