Afghanistan’s First Female Olympian Urges Paris Games Ban For Country Over Taliban’s Rights Record | South China...

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has responded to calls to suspend the Afghanistan National Olympic Committee (NOC) due to the Taliban's restrictions on women's and girls' access to sports. In a statement, the IOC referred to a previous statement made by James Macleod, its director of National Olympic Committee Relations and Olympic Solidarity, who said the IOC was in dialogue with Afghanistan's NOC and sport authorities "with the aim to reverse the current restrictions on access to sport for women and young girls in Afghanistan". The IOC acknowledged different views on whether Afghanistan's NOC should be suspended, but stated that it "doesn't believe that isolation of the Afghan sporting community at this time is the right approach".

Athletes must have a refugee status confirmed by the United Nations refugee agency to be eligible for the IOC Refugee Olympic Team, according to the IOC. ← →

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Thoughts:

James Macleod is the Director of National Olympic Committee Relations and Olympic Solidarity at the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In this role, he is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the relationships between the IOC and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) around the world.

Recently, Macleod has overseen several significant achievements for the IOC. In 2020, he played a key role in the successful implementation of the Olympic Solidarity Programme, which provides financial and technical support to NOCs and athletes in developing countries.

This programme has helped to promote the Olympic Movement and increase participation in sports around the world.

Macleod has been instrumental in the IOC's efforts to address the issue of gender equality in sports. He has worked closely with the IOC's Gender Equality Commission to develop and implement initiatives aimed at promoting gender balance in sports leadership and ensuring equal opportunities for athletes of all genders.

Macleod has also been involved in the IOC's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had a significant impact on the sports world. ← →

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Asked to comment on Rezayee's call, the IOC referred to a statement made last month by James Macleod, its director of National Olympic Committee Relations and Olympic Solidarity.