Olympics: IOC backs Asian Games involvement by Russians, Belarusians

The International Olympic Committee on Thursday welcomed the Olympic Council of Asia's decision to allow individual neutral athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport to compete at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.Last week, the OCA approved the participation of up to 500 Russian and Belarusian athletes under a neutral banner at the Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 games.The move was made to help the athletes qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics after they have largely been kept from entering international sporting events since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which has been supported by Belar…READ FULL ARTICLE