GENEVA, December 11. /TASS/. The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations ordering international sports federations to allow young athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate in youth competitions under their national flag and to the tune of their country’s anthem, the IOC press office said in a statement.
"In light of the discussion around the principles, the Summit supported the IOC EB’s recommendation that youth athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport should no longer be restricted in their access to international youth competitions, in both individual and team sports," the statement reads.
"The definition of youth competitions and the application of these recommendations depends for this purpose on the regulations of each International Federation (IF)," according to the IOC.
However, the governing Olympic body added that: "The Summit participants committed to take these discussions back to their organizations for their consideration. It was recognized that implementation by the stakeholders will take time."
"In addition, the standard protocols of the IF or the International Sports Event Organizer regarding flags, anthems, uniforms and other elements should apply, provided that the national sports organization concerned is in good standing," the statement continued.
