Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) - The State Sports Association of Hesse has spoken out against the early return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitive sports. "In the middle of the brutal war of aggression that Russia and Belarus have been waging against Ukraine for over a year, a readmission would send the wrong signal," said President Juliane Kuhlmann in a statement by lsb h on Thursday.
The state sports federation will also represent this position at a virtual conference of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) in the coming week. The reason for the exchange of views is the intention of the International Olympic Committee to open international competitions to Russian and Belarusian athletes again.
The DOSB had been opposed to this initiative, but under "strict conditions" it was within the realm of possibility. "We don't see that because sport in both countries is too closely linked to the state and its army," said Kuhlmann.
