Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Olympics
Nasir Jabbar
THREE flags have been banned from all stadiums in Paris for the 2024 Olympics.
Every country participating in the Olympics proudly waved their flag at the spectacular opening ceremony last Friday.
But a selection of flags were not displayed as organisers prohibited the use of THREE flags.
Advert
Those flags consist of Russia, Belarus and Taiwan.
Russian and Belarusian athletes are banned from competing under their own flags at the Paris Games due to their involvement in the Ukraine war
Some athletes from Russia and Belarus are being allowed to compete as individuals.
Advert
Instead of their respective flags, they will have 'AIN' on their jersey, which stands for Athlètes Individuals Neutres, which translates to Individual Neutral Athletes in English.
Since AIN is not considered a team, any medals won by AIN athletes will not be grouped together on the overall medal table.
As for the Taiwan flag, it's a policy which is stated in ticketing regulations that only official flags of regions or countries participating in the Olympics are allowed into venues.
Advert
For instance, flags from individual regions seeking independence, such as Spain's Basque country, Tibet, or Quebec, are categorically banned.
Regarding the Taiwan flag, there have been reported incidents of venue staff asking attendees to remove references of the national flag, including small handkerchief-sized flags, patches on bags and even face paint, according to UDN.
Taiwanese fans must use the 'Plum Blossom Banner', which has officially represented the Taiwan Olympic team since 1981.
Any reference to the Taiwan flag will be scrutinised by security staff, who have been notified of which flags are banned from Olympic venues this summer.