Japan has banned athletes from politicising the upcoming Tokyo Olympics by taking a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter organisation.
Raising fist in support of “racial equality” will also be punished as the International Olympic Committee on Wednesday maintained its ban on athletes’ protests inside stadiums, at ceremonies and on podiums.
The IOC’s Rule 50 forbids any kind of ‘demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda’ in venues and any other Olympic area and the Games body concluded the rule should be maintained following an athlete consultation.
Since the death of drug addicted, home invader George Floyd following his arrest in Minneapolis last year taking a knee before sports games has become trendy and is promoted by global corporations, major mainstream media outlets and establishment politicians.
However, The International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission chief Kirsty Coventry, who led a review of the rule, said the majority of athletes consulted were against any protests within the fields of play or the podiums.
“I would not want something to distract from my competition and take away from that. That is how I still feel today”.
It is still possible; however, that some competing athletes will break this rule and risk penalisation for their country for the sake of the virtue signal.
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