Double standards as sports' governing bodies continue selective bans

CONTROVERSY is growing as FIFA and the IOC face accusations of a ‘double standard’ regarding the US-led attack on Iran compared to the 2022 ban on Russia.

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FOUR years after world sport rushed to ban Russia for invading Ukraine, the leading governing bodies are reacting guardedly to the US-led attack on Iran, raising accusations of double standards.

Both wars broke out immediately after the end of a Winter Olympics — and before the start of the subsequent Paralympics and ahead of a summer World Cup. Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine four days after the closing ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. US and Israeli bombs started falling on Iran six days after the flags came down on the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

In 2022, it took four days for football’s world and European governing bodies, Fifa and Uefa, with the support of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), to expel all Russian and Belarusian teams. The IOC condemned "the violation of the Olympic Truce by the Russian government and by the Belarusian government that supports it".

This time, the IOC merely called for guarantees of "the safety of athletes" travelling to the Paralympics in Italy, particularly "those likely to be affected by the most recent conflicts". Fifa secretary general Mattias Grafstrom said his body were "monitoring the situation".