EYOF 2022 without athletes from Russia and Belarus

Athletes from Russia and Belarus will not participate in the European Youth Olympic Festival 2022 in Banska Bystrica. Representatives from the two countries will not be able to start from 24 to 30 July at a multi-sport event under Urpin based on several verdicts of major institutions. 

“Based on the conclusions of the meeting of Ministers of Sports of the EU member states, which took place on 8 March 2022, and based on the opinion of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic (MŠVVaŠ SR) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic (EOV), which took place on 20 March, athletes and officials of the Russian Federation and Belarus cannot attend the EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022 or the team leaders´ meeting, which will take place in April 2022,” said the event director Peter Hamaj on the exclusion of the team Russia and Belarus from the EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022.

The EOC extended the decision on the non-participation of Russia and Belarus
In accordance with the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of 28 February 2022 and also in accordance with the decision taken by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) on 2 March 2022 in connection with the EYOF Vuokatti 2022, athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus will not participate also at the summer EYOF Banská Bystrica 2022. The decision was made after consultation with the organising committee of the event in Slovakia through the mayor of Banská Bystrica and his president Ján Nosko, who previously addressed the EOC President Spyros Capralos: 

“We understand that the decision on the participation of Russia and Belarus in the EOC events is complex and therefore requires a thorough dialogue with all stakeholders. The opinion of the organising committee and the host country is one of the issues to be taken into account. The EYOF Organising Committee Banská Bystrica 2022 strongly believes in the neutrality of sport, unfortunately, the current situation has gone beyond the scope of sport and is considered a societal issue, which is also beginning to relate to the overall security of our event. In addition, the main source of its funding comes from the Slovak government, and therefore the recommendation to exclude Russia and Belarus from EYOF 2022 issued by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Slovak Republic Ivan Husár, should also be taken into account,” states in Nosko’s letter addressed to the head of EOC.

In an effort to protect the integrity of EOC’s activities in the current exceptional context, it has also been decided that Russians and Belarusians holding positions in the EOC’s executive committee or commissions will not be temporarily invited to the meetings.