World football legend and former head coach of the Ukrainian national team Andriy Shevchenko spoke about the 

possible return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to the international arena

.

On his Facebook page, he appealed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to not allow athletes from the aggressor countries to compete while the war in Ukraine continues, and to strongly condemn Russian aggression.

"There is no sport outside of politics. Sports competitions at the level of the Olympics are an opportunity to broadcast any message immediately to all people on earth. And if athletes from Russia or Belarus enter the arena with or without flags, for the whole world this message from the Olympic Committee is unambiguous - the war is over, everything can be forgiven and forgotten. 

But the war is not over.

It destroys our cities every day, cripples our children's childhood and takes the lives of the best people.

The world must remember this, the world must know that the struggle for peace and freedom continues. 

I call on the IOC not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete until the war in Ukraine is over, and to strongly condemn Russian aggression," Shevchenko wrote.

Earlier, Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina 

condemned the IOC's intention to admit Russians and Belarusians

to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

We will remind, on January 26, the IOC announced its readiness to return athletes from the aggressor countries to international competitions, but in a neutral status and only those who did not support the war in Ukraine.

This caused

harsh criticism

 from the officials of Ukraine.

Minister of Youth and Sports, President of the NOC of Ukraine Vadym Gutzait said that our country 

may boycott the 2024 Olympics

if athletes from Russia and Belarus are admitted to the competition.

On February 3, the NOC of Ukraine 

will consider the issue of a possible boycott of the 2024 Olympic Games

.

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