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The International Olympic Committee IOC has suspended all Indian applications to host future events and urged international sports federations not to stage competitions in the country after two Pakistanis were denied visas to compete in New Delhi.
India reportedly denied entry visas for two Pakistani shooters due to take part in a World Cup event this weekend due to recent attack on CRPF jawan by Pakistan-based militant group in Pulwama.
India has accused Paksitan of not doing enough to control the militant groups responsible for the Kashmir attacks.
The IOC said the refusal of visas for competitors went against the principles of the Olympic charter relating to discrimination and political interference from the host country.
“Since becoming aware of the issue, and in spite of intense last-minute … efforts … and discussions with the Indian government authorities, no solution has been found to allow the Pakistani delegation to enter India in time to compete,” the IOC statement said.
“As a result, the IOC Executive Board also decided to suspend all discussions with the Indian NOC and government regarding the potential applications for hosting future sports and Olympic-related events in India,” it said.
“The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board (EB) today revoked the Olympic qualification status of the 25m rapid fire pistol event of the international sports shooting federation (ISSF) world cup rifle/pistol. the competition is taking place in new Delhi, India, from 20 to 28 February 2019”, IOC said in a statement .
International Cricket Council (ICC) has also hinted that the BCCI is likely to lose the proposal of banning Pakistan from the 2019 ICC World Cup starting May 30. India and Pakistan are scheduled to face-off in the World Cup in Manchester on June 16 at the showpiece event.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has put the ball in the government’s court to decide on India’s World Cup match against Pakistan. India and Pakistan are scheduled to face-off in the World Cup in Manchester on June 16.
Full Statement of IOC
IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD REVOKES OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION STATUS OF MEN’S 25M RAPID FIRE PISTOL EVENT IN NEW DELHI
THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE (IOC) EXECUTIVE BOARD (EB) TODAY REVOKED THE OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION STATUS OF THE 25M RAPID FIRE PISTOL EVENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SPORTS SHOOTING FEDERATION (ISSF) WORLD CUP RIFLE/PISTOL. THE COMPETITION IS TAKING PLACE IN NEW DELHI, INDIA, FROM 20 TO 28 FEBRUARY 2019.
The IOC was informed on 18 February that the Indian government authorities failed to grant an entry visa to the Pakistani delegation comprising two athletes and one official who were meant to participate in the ISSF World Cup. This is a qualification competition for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in which direct quotas are earned by the respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs). The two Pakistani athletes were due to compete in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol event, starting Saturday 23 February, in which two quota places are available for the Games.
The IOC restricted the withdrawal of recognition as an Olympic qualification event to the 25m rapid fire pistol competition in which the two Pakistani athletes were supposed to participate. This happened in the interest of the other 500 athletes from 61 countries participating in the other events who are already in India for their competition.
Since becoming aware of the issue, and in spite of intense last-minute joint efforts by the IOC, the ISSF and the Indian NOC, and discussions with the Indian government authorities, no solution has been found to allow the Pakistani delegation to enter India in time to compete.
This situation goes against the Fundamental Principles of the Olympic Charter, in particular the principles of non-discrimination, as well as the IOC’s and the Olympic Movement’s position, reiterated on many occasions over the past few years, that equal treatment must be guaranteed for all participating athletes and sporting delegations at international sports events, without any form of discrimination or political interference from the host country.
As a result, the IOC Executive Board also decided to suspend all discussions with the Indian NOC and government regarding the potential applications for hosting future sports and Olympic-related events in India, until clear written guarantees are obtained from the Indian government to ensure the entry of all participants in such events in full compliance with the rules of the Olympic Charter – and to recommend that the IFs neither award to nor hold sports events in India until the above-mentioned guarantees are obtained.
The ISSF was asked to make a proposal on how the two available Olympic quota places will now be otherwise reassigned.
