“Another Russophobic attack from the United States”: how Russia reacted to the call to exclude the country from sports

The last few months, Russian sports are going through hard times.

At the moment, most athletes are suspended from international competitions, while others are allowed to compete in tournaments only in a neutral status.

So, the football team lost the opportunity to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar, and the hockey team lost the opportunity to compete at the world championship in Finland, where the strongest squad could have been lucky.

Basketball players, figure skaters and many others are under sanctions.

And on the eve it became known that the International Ski Federation (FIS) extended the period of disqualification of Russians for the entire summer season.

The day before, the US State Department issued a statement in which it joined the call to remove Russian federations from international sports organizations.

The initiative was supported by another 34 countries, including the UK, Germany, Poland, Finland and Sweden, and Belarus was also proposed to be subject to sanctions.

In addition, the organization demanded that persons closely associated with Russia and Belarus be removed from influential positions in international sports federations, as well as think about the possibility of suspending broadcasts of sporting events in the countries.

As for athletes, it was proposed to allow them to participate in international tournaments only in a neutral status, and also to prohibit them from using national symbols and the anthem.

Also, any public statements or symbols must comply with the “neutral approach”.

Initially, the call to remove Russia and Belarus from world sports was voiced by the Minister of Sports and Tourism of Poland, Kamil Bortnichuk.

In early July, he announced the signing by his colleagues of a joint statement demanding to suspend the membership of states in sports organizations.

As for the position of the US State Department, the Russian Embassy in the United States immediately reacted to it.

The department severely criticized this initiative and the allied countries, calling it the main goal of "containment of Russia."

“We drew attention to another Russophobic attack from the United States and its satellites, which do not abandon attempts to limit Russian participation in sporting events.

This is being done under a far-fetched pretext of allegedly violating our international obligations and violating human rights in the context of a special military operation in Ukraine... We consider this step as politicized and aimed, as they say here, to “contain” our country.

At the same time, it is obvious that Ukraine is just an excuse.

The persecution of Russian athletes began long before the current events.

This is part of a ridiculous campaign to 'cancel' Russia.

The embassy called these actions an example of "unfair competition" aimed at depriving Russian athletes of the opportunity to compete on an equal footing with opponents from other countries.

The ministry also reminded that sport should remain out of politics, and its use as a tool of pressure "contradicts the spirit of competitiveness and healthy competition."

This initiative was also condemned in the State Duma.

So, the deputy head of the sports committee, Sergei Burlakov, called this another stuffing from the US State Department, but also expressed the opinion that "the wave of indignation that hit Russian athletes gradually subsided."

“Any sane person is well aware that the sanctions against our athletes are unfair and even absurd.

So we have to invent new informational occasions ... Have fun, Russia has long and openly expressed its position.

We are for sports outside of politics, for open, honest competitions and friendship between athletes from all over the world, ”RIA Novosti quotes Burlakov.

He does not see a serious cause for concern and the honorary president of the Russian Football Union Vyacheslav Koloskov.

According to him, even if 35 countries turn to FIFA with a demand to remove Russia, this is unlikely to be achieved.

“There is no threat of exclusion of the RFU from FIFA.

The congress is attended by representatives of 211 national football associations.

We were opposed by 35 countries.

Even if a dozen more will be added, it will not change anything.

There is no risk.

The fact is that they want to exclude Russia again, guided by political motives.

And the charter of the International Football Federation clearly states under what conditions a national federation can lose its membership.

So the initiators of this provocation have no chance, ”Koloskov told RT.

As for the potential ban on broadcasting sports events, Koloskov was not so unambiguous on this issue.

Earlier, England and France banned the showing of matches of their national championships in Russia, and it is possible that in the future domestic fans will lose the opportunity to watch the Champions League games.

“Theoretically, there is such a danger.

After all, both the Champions League and the World Cup have sponsors.

If they suddenly take a unified position, UEFA and FIFA will have no choice but to meet them halfway.

But I don't think it will come to that.

So far, there has been no such practice.

I don’t think this will happen, ”Koloskov added.

In turn, in the world of figure skating, the situation is somewhat different.

According to the honored coach of Russia Tatyana Tarasova, domestic athletes are in a difficult position, and sanctions are causing serious damage to the development of sports in the country.

However, it will not be possible to finally break the domestic figure skaters.

“I think it will not be worse than it is now.

Our country will not stop developing sports.

And creating a world without us will not work, ”said Tarasova.

At the same time, three-time Olympic champion in pair skating Irina Rodnina found it difficult to answer what impact the potential exclusion of Russian federations from international organizations could have.

“It seems to me that Russian athletes are already in such a difficult situation that a little worse or a little better does not really matter.

It seems that (in the world) they don’t know what else to come up with.

It is difficult for me to predict how the theoretical exclusion of Russian sports federations from international organizations will affect the current situation.

Now it remains only to observe the development of events and respond in the course of action, ”said Rodnina.