Sports organizations have launched a strong message on Monday to denounce the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, while Russian and Belarusian athletes will receive decisions from their leaders by being banned from several competitions.
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Less than a week before the opening of the Paralympic Games in Beijing, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that all international sports federations and organizers of international events ban athletes and officials from Russia and the Belarus.
The IOC said it was necessary to “protect the integrity of global sports competitions for the safety of all participants. »
“The current war in Ukraine places the Olympic Movement in a dilemma. While athletes from Russia and Belarus could participate in sporting events, several Ukrainian athletes will be deprived of them due to the attacks on their country.
In the afternoon, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) followed suit, saying it was “horrified by the events of the last week”.
The decision paved the way for FIFA, soccer’s governing body, to exclude Russia from the World Cup ahead of qualifying matches on March 24. Poland had already refused to play their scheduled match against the Russians.
What fate awaits Ovechkin?
It is unclear at this time how this IOC decision will affect Russian NHL hockey players and tennis players, including new world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in the Grand Slam, ATP and the WTA outside the authority of the International Tennis Federation.
Tennis player Andrey Rublev, hockey player Alex Ovechkin or cyclist Pavel Sivakov have clearly stated their opposition to the war waged by their country. They are now threatened with having to pay a high professional price if their federations follow the recommendations of the IOC.
Svitolina threatens to withdraw
Opposed to Russian Anastasia Potapova in the first round of the WTA 250 in Monterrey, Mexico, Ukrainian Elina Svitolina said on Monday that she would withdraw from the tournament if the WTA and the tennis authorities did not take a clear position.
“I will not play in Monterrey or any match against a Russian or Belarusian player until our organizations have taken the necessary decision,” she explained on her social networks, quoted by the French sports daily L’. Team.
She expects the recommendations of the IOC to be followed, that is to say that the athletes compete under a neutral banner, without an anthem or a national flag.
Svitolina added that he “doesn’t blame Russian athletes”.
“I also want to pay tribute to all the athletes, and especially the Russians and Belarusians who have courageously taken a stand against this war. Their support is essential,” she added.
Two compatriots too
Svitolina is not the only Ukrainian player to deplore the WTA’s lack of reaction to the Russian invasion. His compatriots Marta Kostyuk (54th racket in the world) and Lesia Tsurenko (127th) also showed up on social networks.
“We Ukrainian players would like to express our great surprise and disappointment at the lack of reaction to the situation in our homeland,” they wrote. We call on the WTA to immediately condemn the Russian government and withdraw from all tournaments scheduled in Russia. »
Banned in Edmonton
The International Ice Hockey Federation has announced that Russia and Belarus have been banned from all international competition until the end of August.
This decision means that the Russian players will not participate in the World Junior Hockey Championship which was canceled last December in Edmonton and which must be resumed in August at the same place.
This annual tournament, which was to take place in Russia next year, will also be relocated.
These measures raise questions about the status of players of Russian and Belarusian origin currently playing in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).
A meeting is scheduled by the end of the week to discuss the next steps, said Maxime Blouin, spokesperson for the QMJHL.
– With Louis Butcher and Kevin Dubé, Le Journal de Quebec