Two years have passed since Russia's military invasion of Ukraine began, and while the sports world continues to be affected, the opening of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games is approaching this summer.
Ukrainian sports executives expressed their desire to appeal to the international community for peace through the Games.
According to Ukraine's Ministry of Youth and Sports, over the past two years since Russia's military invasion began, sports-related damage in the country has resulted in at least 400 deaths, including athletes and coaches, and more than 500 damage to training grounds and training camps. facilities were destroyed.
Two years after the invasion began, with the Paris Olympics and Paralympics approaching this summer, Ukraine's Acting Minister of Youth and Sports Vidny said in an interview with NHK, ``Ukraine continues to shoulder great losses and hardships every day, and athletes are unable to train or attend.'' "Even during the competition, we are competing in conditions where we are being bombarded by artillery and moving into air defense. The Paris Games are a huge opportunity to remind the world of what is happening in Ukraine right now." He expressed his intention to appeal to the international community for peace through the Games.
Regarding the participation of athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus in the Paris Games, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and other organizations have decided that athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus will be participating in the Paris Games as ``neutral individual athletes'' and that they are not military-affiliated athletes and that they are not actively involved in military invasion. It has indicated that it will approve it on the condition that it does not support it.
Regarding this, Acting Youth and Sports Minister Bidny reiterated his stance against participation, saying, ``In Russia, it is clear that performances at the tournament will be used for propaganda, and no athlete can remain neutral.'' did.
Regarding whether there is a possibility of boycotting the tournament if athletes from both countries participate, he declined to make a statement, saying, ``We will closely monitor whether the conditions we are looking for are met and then make a final decision.''
On the other hand, Russian Sports Minister Matitsyn told Russia's state-run TASS news agency and other media outlets, ``I do not deny that participating in the Olympics is an athlete's dream, but the conditions presented are absolutely discriminatory. "It violates the basic principles of the
Two years have passed since the military invasion, and as the conflict between the two countries continues in the sports world, all eyes are on how the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held in Paris, which is considered a ``festival of peace.''