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As Israel’s national football team kicked off their 2024 Olympics campaign in Paris, their anthem was met with boos and chants of “free Palestine”.
With 88 athletes among the 10,500 competitors, Israeli participants are under tight security due to the ongoing Gaza conflict, which has claimed over 39,000 lives. This recent controversy has sparked criticism of the Olympics Games organisers, who have previously banned countries for actions against the spirit of the Games.
Notably, Russia and Belarus are banned this year due to the Ukraine war.
Historical bans
The first significant bans occurred during the early 20th century, following the aftermath of World War I. In 1920, five countries — Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, and Turkey — were banned from the Antwerp Olympics due to their involvement in the war. This ban was part of a broader effort to sideline nations that had been involved in the conflict.
The ban on Germany continued into the 1924 Paris Olympics. However, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey were allowed to compete in the Games.
During World War II, Germany and Japan were barred from participating in the 1948 London Olympics due to their roles in the conflict. This ban was extended to South Africa in 1964 Tokyo, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) sought to condemn the country’s apartheid regime. The ban on South Africa lasted until 1992.
In 1972, Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, was banned from the Munich Games as a result of global pressure and protests against its racial segregation policies.
Modern bans
More recent bans have been driven by political and ethical considerations. In 2000, Afghanistan was banned from the Sydney Olympics due to its severe restrictions on women’s participation in sports and its prohibition of sports altogether under Taliban rule.
Similarly, the Olympics committee has consistently banned South Africa due to its apartheid policies, with the ban lasting from 1964 to 1992.
The most recent bans have been triggered by state-sponsored doping programmes and political conflicts. In 2016, the IOC banned many Russian athletes from competing in the Rio Olympics due to doping violations. This ban was extended to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, requiring Russian athletes to compete under the banner of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) rather than Russia’s national flag.
Ban because of war in Ukraine
The 2024 Paris Olympics have seen Russia and Belarus banned from participating due to their involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 violated the Olympic Truce, a UN-backed resolution aimed at promoting peace during the Olympics.
This led to the IOC’s decision to ban both countries from the Paris Olympics. While individual athletes from Russia and Belarus can compete under Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), they will not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony.
What is AIN for Russia and Belarus in the 2024 Olympics?
AIN represents the IOC’s country code for Individual Neutral Athletes. This code derives from the French term ‘Athletes Individuels Neutres’, which translates to Individual Neutral Athletes.
The IOC assigns a three-letter country code to each group of athletes participating in the Olympic Games. While athletes under this designation are prohibited from using the neutral Olympic flag and anthem, they will carry their flag.
To be eligible to compete, athletes must meet the qualification criteria set by the International Federation. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IOC announced that 14 athletes from Russia and 11 from Belarus across five different sports have met these criteria.
First Published: Jul 26 2024 | 5:19 PM IS
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