Asian Games: Hong Kong athletes will suffer if Russian gymnasts allowed to compete, top official says
- Move could potentially pave way for country’s athletes to qualify for Paris Olympics
- Hong Kong gymnastics boss says he will accept decision, but fears it will negatively impact city’s athletes
Hong Kong’s athletes would suffer if Russia’s gymnastics were allowed to take part in the Asian Games a senior sports official said on Tuesday, after the European nation claimed to have been invited to take part.
Officials from the country’s gymnastics and wrestling federations earlier claimed they had been invited to participate in the multi-sport event, which is being held in mainland China later this year.
Being involved at the Games in Hangzhou could potentially pave the way for Russia’s athletes to qualify for next year’s Paris Olympics.
“We received an invitation to take part in the Asian Games,” Vasily Titov, head of the Russian gymnastics federation, told Match TV. “We will reply that we are interested, and then they will come up with conditions for our participation.”
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced last month that athletes from the Russia and Belarus, barred from competing in European qualifiers because of the invasion of Ukraine, might be allowed to earn slots for the 2024 Games through Asian qualifying.
Albert Ng, a senior sports executive at the Hong Kong Gymnastics Association said the city’s athletes “would be more or less affected”.
“If the Asian Olympic Council (OCA) approves this, I will respect their decision, but there is no doubt that it will have an impact on our athletes and their results,” he said.
