Slovenian Olympic Committee welcomes IOC decision on Russia

The Slovenian Olympic Committee welcomed the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision not to exclude Russia from the Rio Olympics, Slovenian Press Agency (STA) reported.

The head of the Slovenian Olympic Committee Bogdan Gabrovec on Sunday warned some sports federations to avoid pitfalls as they decide whether to let Russians compete, reports Xinhua.

"I personally think the decision is good for sports, even if it is a compromise of sorts. It is however bad in that it shifts the responsibility on international sports federations, which is delicate," Gabrovec said.

He suggested the individual decisions may not have to do with sport, as the associations will decide "in accordance with their interests. In this sense sports is headed in a direction that we have not desired."

"I hope all international federations tackle the issue the same way and realise that an athlete who has never taken doping is not guilty and should not be held responsible for the mistakes of his fellow competitors," he said.

Gabrovec's comments came after the IOC decided not to impose a blanket ban on Russia for the Rio Games over alleged state-sponsored doping, but said each sports federation needed to establish a competitor's individual eligibility.

--IANS

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