Raising tensions is contrary to IOC mission, says Bach

BERLIN - International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said on Wednesday that the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics should not be used to raise global tensions and the athletes' participation is worldwide consensus.

Bach expressed concerns about the athlete's participation after the United States announced not to send government officials to attend Beijing 2022 under the pretext of human rights. He welcomed all the support for the Olympic teams to give athletes certainty at the digital press conference after the IOC Executive Board meeting on Wednesday.

"This is in full accordance with the approval by consensus of all the UN member states supporting the Olympic Truce Resolution," said the 67-year-old president. "The presence of government officials is a political decision. Political neutrality applies and IOC won't take a side."

According to Bach, IOC organizes the Games to unite the world, not to divide it. He took the Olympic Games in ancient time as an example to prove that political intervention would only destroy and bring the Games to an end.

"We are living in this confrontational, divisive world where the tensions are rising high. If the games would even contribute to the tensions, it would be absolutely contrary to our mission," said Bach.

Bach believed the IOC's mission and responsibility is to ensure everything related to the Olympic Games and the Olympic Charter and there is no doubt that the Chinese partners would deliver the commitments like what they have achieved in the testing events.

"The host contract is fully respected. It includes the respect for human rights of all the participants and a number of other issues. And on this, we are working closely with the organizing committee," said Bach.