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Football's world governing body Fifa is set to suspend Russia until further notice - as the International Olympic Committee recommends that Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials are banned from any organised international competitions.
OC said it was needed to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants.”
The decision opened the way for FIFA, the governing body of soccer, to exclude Russia from a World Cup qualifying playoff match on March 24. Poland has refused to play the scheduled game against Russia. Two other nations slated to face Russia in the qualifiers have suggested they would take a similar posture.
The IOC said it acted “with a heavy heart” but the impact of war on Ukrainian sports outweighed the potential damage done to athletes from Russia and Belarus.
- Don Shapiro, Gambling911.com
