In light of the recent events between Ukraine and Russia, the sports industry and competition world has been affected, with several governing bodies around the world making the decision to bar Russia from international competitions and sports. FIFA made their support of Ukraine clear in a statement made, “Football is fully united here and in full solidarity with all the people affected in Ukraine.”
In addition to this, the UEFA Champions League Final, originally scheduled to take place in St. Petersburg, Russia has now been relocated to Saint-Denis, France. According to USA Today, there has also been request for athletes from Belarus to be banned from competing as the country has allowed Russian troops to station there and launch attacks from their territory.
Not only are Russians being removed from sports, but other countries are refusing to play them. The Associated Press reported, “Another future opponent, Albania, also said Sunday [February 27] it would not play against Russia in any sports. Russia and Albania are scheduled to meet twice in June in the UEFA Nations League soccer tournament.
However, these decisions do not come without backlash from Russian officials. Russian Olympic Committee president Stanislav Pozdnyakov made clear that Russians “strongly object’ to these measures and see them as discriminatory. “There is only one comment to make — we categorically disagree,” said Pozdnyakov.
Russian athletes have not stayed silent in response to these changes and how the war is affecting them. ABC News said, “Alex Ovechkin, one of the highest-profile Russians in sports, who has been a supporter of Russian President Vladimir Putin and whose family is located in Russia, has been facing calls from hockey fans to address the violence as he leads the Washington Capitals.” Ovechkin, in a press conference made a statement asking for the war to end.
Andrey Rublev, a Russian tennis player also voiced his opinion after winning a semifinal match at the Dubai Championships, when he wrote “No War Please” in marker on a TV camera, which is a new tradition for tennis match winners.
Russian athletes are not the only ones who have been affected by this war. Ukrainian athletes have also spoken out about their feelings on the war.
According to ABC News, “Sacramento Kings center Alex Len and Toronto Raptors forward Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, the only two Ukrainians in the NBA, released a joint statement Thursday, writing in part, “A great tragedy befell our dear homeland Ukraine. We categorically condemn the war. Ukraine is a peaceful sovereign state inhabited by people who want to decide their own destiny.” Meanwhile, Pavlo Dziuba, a Ukrainian college basketball player at Maryland, wrote “NO WAR PEACE” and “PRAY FOR UKRAINE” on his shoes.”
The international sports world has taken a clear side on the war between Russia and Ukraine and continue to take measures in which they believe best fit the situation at hand.
