Serbia's Sports Minister Zoran Gajić has criticised sanctions on athletes, claiming it is exactly the opposite of the essence and the purpose of sport ©Serbian Government

Serbia’s Sports Minister Zoran Gajić has expressed his opposition to the "use of sport for political purposes through sanctions and restrictions imposed on athletes".

While not referring to Russia and Belarus directly, Gajić sided with the two countries' stance by slamming restraints against athletes on the sporting stage.

Gajić, an Olympic gold medal-winning volleyball coach with Serbia at Sydney 2000, expressed his views at the seventh edition of the International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (MINEPS VII) here.

The 64-year-old has strong links to Russia having had a spell as head coach of the men’s national volleyball team in the mid-2000s as well as coach two Russian clubs.

Serbia has a close relationship with Russia, although it did back the United Nations Resolution condemning the invasion of Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee has recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes should be allowed to return to competition as neutrals provided they do not support the war in Ukraine and are not affiliated with the military.

However, Russia believes the banning of its flag, symbols and national anthem is unacceptable.

Zoran Gajić steered Serbia to Olympic glory at Sydney 2000 before having a spell as head coach of Russia's men's national team ©Getty Images
Zoran Gajić steered Serbia to Olympic glory at Sydney 2000 before having a spell as head coach of Russia's men's national team ©Getty Images

When addressing Sports Ministers at the MINEPS VII, Gajić insisted that he was "against all forms of discrimination".

"In the previous period we have witnessed the use of sport for political purposes through sanctions and restrictions imposed on athletes," said Gajić.

"Sport and athletes undoubtedly have a significant role in promoting positive values in all forms of socio, political systems.

"In Ancient Greece, wars were stopped during the Olympic Games and the situation that is happening today is exactly the opposite of the essence and the purpose of sport.

"Therefore, the position of Serbia and my personal position is to strongly oppose sanctions in sport and all ways of using sport for the purposes of political pressure and the achievement of political goals."

Yesterday, Belarusian Minister of Sport and Tourism Sergey Kovalchuk claimed that the Olympic Movement is being "pulled apart" and that sport has "lost its appeal and…its independence" due to "unscrupulous politicians".

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has also reiterated his opposition, saying he was coming up against "some extreme threats in particular a flouting of principles of equality in sport and a segregation of athletes depending on their nationality and passport".