Bach Nixes Trump, Macron, Xi and Abe Meetings

(ATR) IOC President won’t have bilateral meetings at G20 Summit...Executive Board returns India to Olympic fold.

The first confirmation of Thomas Bach’s attendance at the G20 Summit was confirmed on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference wrapping up two days of IOC Executive Board meetings in Lausanne, Bach says he does not intend to have bilateral meetings with upcoming Olympic heads of state.

His comments were the first confirmation he will attend the confab of world leaders. Included in the G20’s roster are leaders of Japan (Shinzo Abe), China (Xi Jinping), France (Emmanuel Macron) and the United States (Donald Trump). The countries are the hosts of the 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2028 Olympics respectively.

"Looking at their agenda and the very limited timeframe they have I prefer there to respect their agenda and to respect the manyfold and difficult issues these leaders will have to address during their summit," Bach said in an hour-long press conference at the Lausanne Palace hotel.

"I think it’s a great honor to be invited to address the assembled world leadership."

Around the Rings understands Bach plans to travel to Osaka June 28-30 before heading to Minsk for the European Olympic Committees general assembly.

Bach also announced the IOC Executive Board lifted the Olympic ban from India, in place since February.

"We have received the assurances of the Indian government that they will in the future respect the Olympic Charter and they will give permission to enter India for all athletes who want to participate in the relevant Olympic events or qualification events or international sporting events," Bach said.

India came under fire after refusing to grant visas to shooting sport athletes from Pakistan, the country’s neighbor and bitter rival.

The IOC also announced, on World Refugee Day, the list of refugee athlete scholarship holders who are working to earn a place on the IOC Refugee Olympic Team at Tokyo 2020.

There are currently 37 Refugee Athlete Scholarship-Holders, including the 10 athletes who were part of the first IOC Refugee Olympic Team Rio 2016, 13 new individual athletes, and a group of athletes preparing at the Tegla Loroupe Refugee Training Centre in Kenya. All are being assisted by Olympic Solidarity through its Refugee Athletes Support Program.

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