BOA admits Azerbaijan pays for British team to compete in European Games

• Britain sending 160 athletes to inaugural event of 18 sports

• Baku under attack for human rights abuses

• Jade Jones says she will take part in European Games

The British Olympic Association has admitted that organisers of the first European Games in Baku, under attack from human rights groups following a crackdown on freedom of speech, had effectively paid for its team of athletes to compete.

The BOA will send 160 athletes to the inaugural European Games in Azerbaijan in June, three times as many as went to the Sochi Winter Olympics last year. The Team GB chef de mission, Mark England, who will perform the same function at the Olympics in Rio in 2016, said the cost of sending the team would be largely covered by the organisers. “There’s participation grants that we’ve received from the organising committee. The net cost we’re hoping will be neutral for Team GB,” he said.

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source Sport | The Guardian http://ift.tt/1BdjpS2