(ATR) The European Olympic Committees has defended its invitation to Pat Hickey to attend the Minsk European Games, despite his self-suspension from all Olympic roles over the Rio 2016 ticketing scandal.
The EOC confirmed Hickey’s attendance to Around the Rings for the second European Games that opens this Friday in the Belarusian capital.
"As done in the past, the EOC has invited all of its former presidents to attend the 2nd European Games in a non-operational role. This was also the case for the 1st edition of the Games, and will remain the case at future editions," an EOC spokesperson tells ATR.
Hickey, president of the EOC from 2006 to 2017 and head of the Olympic Council of Ireland for 20 years, was embroiled in the Rio 2016 ticketing debacle. Arrested at the IOC hotel in August that year, Hickey was imprisoned and charged with ticket touting, forming a cartel and illegal marketing at the Games. The scandal forced him to step aside from all of his Olympic functions.
After posting a $400,000 bond, Hickey was allowed to return to Ireland. His trial in Rio de Janeiro has yet to happen. The IOC ethics commission has still to issue its inquiry report on the ticket scalping affair. Hickey denies any wrongdoing.
Asked what message the Hickey invite to the European Games sent to the Olympic world and beyond, an EOC spokesperson said: "As self suspended and without any cause to prevent him from going about his daily life, he is invited as per the EOC policy as previously mentioned. It would be wrong for the EOC to act in a different manner, unless the situation regarding Patrick Hickey changes."
Since the scandal, the Olympic Federation of Ireland has elected a new president, Sarah Keane. Two years ago, the Irish NOC’s board voted unanimously not to accept Hickey's return, regardless of the outcome of judicial proceedings in Brazil and an IOC Ethics Commission inquiry.
Keane has since distanced herself from Hickey and last week suggested there would not be any contact between Team Ireland athletes and Hickey at the European Games.
In recent years, Irish sports minister Shane Ross has also criticized the EOC’s move to invite Hickey.
"He would not have been my choice. But he is not representing Ireland and we have made that absolutely clear," Ross was quoted in the Irish Mirror.
"The OFI [Olympic Federation of Ireland] has reformed remarkably well. But Pat Hickey is not representing Ireland," he added. "It is up to them [EOC] who they invite. It’s not obviously something that we welcome."
More than 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete in 15 sports at the Minsk European games, which run from June 21 to 30.
Reported by Mark Bisson
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