On the heels of the Ukrainian invasion, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged “with a heavy heart” sports bodies Monday to exclude the country’s athletes and officials from international events. The IOC said the move is necessary to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions and for the safety of all the participants.” The decision paved the way for FIFA to exclude Russia from a March 24 World Cup qualifying playoff match; Poland has refused to play the tilt against Russia. The urge also applied to athletes and officials from Belarus, which has abetted Russia’s invasion by …