The pressure is intensifying on the various governing bodies of world sport. This Sunday, a collective of Ukrainian athletes addressed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its president, Thomas Bach, with a very strong request. These athletes are calling for the outright banishment of Russia, which is currently waging a war against Ukraine. Belarus, a loyal ally of Vladimir Putin, is also targeted. “We are writing to you today on behalf of Ukrainian athletes to call on you, as a leader, to immediately suspend the Russian and Belarusian Olympic and Paralympic Committees. This suspension must also include the banning of all international athletes including for the Beijing Paralympic Games.
“Your deeds today will be your legacy”
These different athletes point to the message that the IOC would send if Russia and Belarus were to remain in the various competitions. “If the IOC and the IPC (International Paralympic Committee editor’s note) refused to take rapid action, you would clearly encourage Russia and Belarus to violate international law and your own charter. Your lack of response would send a message to every athlete and to the world indicating your choice in favor of Russian and Belarusian interests rather than in favor of the athletes,” the letter states. And to add: “Your actions today will be your legacy. Make no mistake, Ukrainian athletes are united in this call and it has been a great challenge to speak to them as they seek to ensure their safety in bomb shelters.”
Among the signatories of this letter, we find the former tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky who announced this Saturday that he was taking up arms to defend his country. Earlier in the day, Fifa announced that no international competition match can be played in Russia, that the Russian selection will have to evolve under a neutral flag and that the national anthem of the country will not sound before the meetings.