With great enthusiasm and excitement, the fourth-ranked tennis player in the world, Daniil Medvedev, is going to compete and pledge to abide by the rules of a neutral athlete at the coming 2024 Paris Olympics.
This is after the announcement of the sport’s governing body about its position towards participants from Russia and Belarus.
Unfortunately, the governing body has decided that Russian and Belarusian players are prohibited from competing at international competitions, primarily due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 in which Belarus served as a staging area.
Medvedev on the neutral flag
With this decision made, only two nations’ athletes may compete at the 2024 Olympics as neutrals. These players will be devoid of their country’s flags, symbols, or national anthems, as stated by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
“About the neutral flag, I’ll follow the rules. If it’s under a neutral flag I’ll play under a neutral flag and I’m going to try to compete there, show good tennis and try to win, for sure,” Medvedev declared.
Currently, players from Belarus and Russia have been given the chance to play in the ATP and WTA tournaments, still as neutrals.
The Olympic Opening Ceremony on the Seine will begin at 12 p.m
Cover Photo: IG
Link: Inquirer