Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on the night of Wednesday February 23 to Thursday February 24, the world of sport has refused to content itself with a role of spectator. Football, formula 1 or even biathlon, the vast majority of sports authorities reacted by deciding to cancel competitions planned in Russia or by refusing to face Russian teams.
Latest reaction to date, very symbolic: the International Judo Federation withdrew, on Sunday February 27, his titles of honorary president and ambassador of the federation to Russian President Vladimir Putin, black belt and eighth dan – one of the highest ranks in the sport.
On the first day of Russia’s outbreak of war, F1 set the tone by canceling the Grand Prix scheduled for Sochi on September 25. The European Union of Football Associations (UEFA) followed suit by relocating the final of its prestigious Champions League from Saint Petersburg to the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis (May 28).
On Saturday, while the International Football Federation (FIFA) was one of the few not to have spoken yet, the Polish Football Federation took the lead. The national team, which was to go to Moscow on March 24 in the semi-finals of the qualifying play-off for the 2022 World Cup, will not make the trip. “Enough talk, it’s time to act. Due (…) of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, the Polish team does not plan to play the play-off match against the Russian team”, affirmed the president of the federation, Cezary Kulesza. Information specified in World by the press officer of this federation, Jakub Kwiatkowski: “We don’t want to play against Russia at all, either on neutral ground or in Russia. »
The Swedish Federation, which could have contested its place in the World Cup in the play-off final against the winner of the Poland-Russia match, has already expressed its refusal to meet the Russian footballers.
Olympic boycott
Breaking out of its traditional neutrality, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has encouraged international sports federations to cancel or relocate sporting events organized in Russia or Belarus, an ally of Moscow. Believing that these two countries have violated the Olympic truce, the IOC also requested on Friday that neither the Russian flag nor the Belarusian flag be hoisted during an international sporting event and that the anthem of these two countries not be played. .
A few days after the closing of the Beijing Olympics, the International Biathlon Federation (IBU) pronounced itself in this direction on Saturday: the formidable Russian biathletes will be able to line up during the international events of the calendar only under a neutral banner.
And when international federations show themselves to be timid, like that of volleyball, which is maintaining its World Championships planned in Russia for the moment (from August 26 to September 11), national initiatives take over. The French federation, Olympic champion in Tokyo in 2021, has confirmed that it will not participate in the competition if it is not relocated.
If the international amateur boxing federation – the one that participates in the Olympics – has not yet decided the fate of one of its scheduled competitions in Russiathe Global Boxing Cup (in June), the various major professional boxing federations have spoken out against the organization of championships on Russian territory. “At a time when the world is calling for a ceasefire, our organizations have decided not to allow championships in Russia”the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO said in concert.
Some voices go a step further than simple cancellations or relocations and call for a boycott of Russian athletes, clubs or national teams.
The Swedish government has come out in favor of the total exclusion of Russia from all sports competitions by the countries of the European Union. The Norwegian Ski Federation has, for its part, expressed its refusal to welcome Russian skiers during the next rounds of the World Cup which it must organize, when the Netherlands refused to meet the basketball players. Russia in a qualifying match for the World Cup.
Mobilization of Ukrainian athletes
This boycott movement also affects Belarusian athletes. British Home Secretary Priti Patel has canceled the visas of the basketball players of the Belarusian team, which was to face the United Kingdom on Saturday in a World Cup qualifier. Faced with these initiatives, the International Basketball Federation has decided to postpone these matches.
In France, the Nantes handball club will not meet the Moscow club Chekhovskie Medvedi in the European Cup on Tuesday 1is mars. “We cannot compromise on our own values, so we do not want to welcome Chekhovskie Medvedi, as long as Russia is engaged in a process of war and aggression against Ukraine, even though we are aware that Russian players are in no way responsible for this situation. explained the president of Nantes, Gaël Pelletier.
For their part, Ukrainian athletes are going through heartbreaking situations. Those who evolve abroad are reduced to the role of helpless spectators. Manchester City footballer Oleksandr Zinchenko was in tears ahead of Saturday’s meeting between his club and Everton in the Premier League. Thursday, some Ukrainian basketball players displayed on their cheeks the message “No war” written in marker, during their defeat in Spain.
Others have announced their mobilization. This is the case of the Ukrainian biathlon team, most of whose members are military, as are many international biathletes. 2019 World Champion, Dmytro Pidruchnyi spoke for his teammates in a call on social networks: “My team and I remain in Ukraine to protect our homes and families from the Russian armed forces that invaded Ukraine on February 24”, he launched. Informed of the withdrawal of the Ukrainian team for the rest of the season, the IBU will raise, during the next events, the Ukrainian flag ” to honor the Ukrainian team”.
????????Tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky tearfully reveals he is going back to Ukraine to join the army and fight against… https://t.co/RWtj8XValM
Retired since the start of the year, tennis player Sergiy Stakhovsky (ex-nO 31 worldwide) for his part expressed, in a message video posted on social mediaof his desire to respond to the call for mobilization as a reservist.