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Paris: Russian driver Nikita Mazepin, who was sacked by the US Formula One team Haas last week, announced the establishment of a foundation to support Russian athletes who lost their jobs as a result of the ongoing war for “political reasons”.
“Today I announce the creation of a foundation dedicated to helping athletes who, for political reasons beyond their will, have lost their ability to compete at the highest levels,” Mazepin, 23, said during a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
“It (the foundation) will be financed by Uralcalli, using the money that was earmarked for the partnership in the Formula One World Championship this year,” he added.
Hass terminated its partnership with Uralkali Group, its official sponsor since 2021, with “immediate effect” last Saturday, in conjunction with the termination of the contract of Mazepin, son of billionaire Dmitriy, a shareholder in the Uralkali Group specialized in the production of potash.
In response to the Russian attack on Ukraine, many international sports federations decided to ban Russian athletes and cancel sporting events that were to be held in Russia, following recommendations of the International Olympic Committee.
Mazepin
“The Foundation will allocate financial and non-financial resources to those athletes who have spent their lives preparing for the Olympics, Paralympics, or other high profile events, only to find that they are ultimately barred from competing and subject to collective punishment,” Mazepin said. Simply, because of the passport they hold.” This institution was called the slogan “We compete as one”, similar to the initiative launched by the Formula One World Championship in favor of diversity under the name “We Race as One”.
Mazepin stressed that the foundation would help “athletes from all conflict zones” and “start with the Russian Paralympic team, which was banned from participating in the Beijing Olympics.”
