An astonishing 40 countries could boycott the 2024 Olympic Games, according to Poland's sport and tourism minister who branded the event "pointless" if it materialised.
Kamil Bortniczuk’s comments came after Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia collectively refuted International Olympic Committee (IOC) plans to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in Paris Olympics next year. Bortniczuk said he believed it would be possible to build a coalition nation, including big guns such as Great Britain, the United States and Canada, to support a block on the IOC's plans before a meeting next Friday.
He added: "Considering this I don't think we will face tough decisions before the Olympics and, if we were to boycott the Games, the coalition we will be a part of will be broad enough to make holding the Games pointless." The sports ministers from the aforementioned nations made clear that "any effort by the International Olympic Committee to bring back Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete, even under a neutral flag, should be rejected".
