Lukashenko 'barred' from London Olympics
MOSCOW. July 25. KAZINFORM The organizing committee of the London 2012 Olympic Games has refused accreditation to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who is head of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus, state duma first vice-speaker and president of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov said on Wednesday.
According to RIA Novosti, "the organizing committee in London did not give accreditation to National Olympic Committee President Alexander Lukashenko. Isn't sports outside politics?" Zhukov said on his micro-blog on Twitter, without stating the reason for the refusal.
The London Olympics Organizing Committee was not available for comment.
The Olympics start in London on Friday, July 27, and run until August 12. Lukashenko sent off his Olympic team to London in the middle of this month, tasking them to bring home at least 25 medals including five golds.
"What about Olympic values and traditions? Every schoolchild knows that Greece was always at peace during the Games," Zhukov wrote.
Lukashenko said in mid-July he thought the games were "politicized."