The Fall of International Russian Sports?
Russian Soccer Emblem
Source: @brfootball on Twitter
It’s no secret, Russia and Ukraine are at war. A full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched on February 24th, 2022. This tragic event has raised many questions about the future participation of Russian sports around the world. Many of the leading organizations in sports seek to remove Russian athletes, teams, and events held in Russia to protect the integrity of global sports.
As of today, February 28th, 2022, a joint statement was released by FIFA and UEFA, the two leading organizations of international soccer, stating that Russian soccer clubs, as well as their international team, will be banned from all international competition. This comes just 24 hours after FIFA allowed accommodations of Russian clubs to be able to play internationally as long as their national flag or national anthem did not play, and they do not host any games.
"Following the initial decisions adopted by the FIFA Council and the UEFA Executive Committee, which decisions envisaged the adoption of additional measures, FIFA and UEFA have today decided together that all Russian teams, whether national representative teams or club teams, shall be suspended from participation in both FIFA and UEFA competitions until further notice.”
Source: @UEFA on Twitter
On February 25th, UEFA announced that the Champions League Final would be moved from Krestovsky Stadium (Gazprom Arena) in Saint Petersburg, Russia to Stade de France in Paris, France. UEFA “strongly condemns” the actions of Russia’s military advances in Ukraine while stating their support for the football community in Ukraine as well as the health of its general population.
Moving to Formula One, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and the leaders of the ten F1 teams met to discuss the future of the Russian Grand Prix, scheduled for September 25th, 2022. February 25th, 2022 was when the announcement from F1 became known to the public that the race in Russia would be canceled. F1 will try to fill this race slot with another around the same period. As the invasion happened just one day prior, racers were eager to boycott the event if F1 did not come up with a solution. One of the most prolific and decorated members of the sport, four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin said, “My own opinion is I should not go, I will not go”.
Sebastian Vettel will not be racing in Russian Grand Prix.
Source: AFP via Getty Images
A sport that’s not actively talked about but also impacted by the Ukraine invasion is Judo. Judo is a combat martial art, Olympic sport that emphasizes quick movements to use the opponent's force against them. On February 27th, 2022, the IJF, International Judo Federation, officially suspended Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, as their honorary president and ambassador. The IJF canceled their event held in Kazan, Russia because of the invasion of Ukrainian territory. Putin’s leadership involvement within the federation will be permanently revoked.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin at a Russian national judo team training session.
Source: Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP/Getty Images
FINA, the International Swimming Federation, succumbed to international pressure on February 27th, 2022, canceling the 2022 World Junior Swimming Championship that was supposed to be held in Kazan, Russia in August, and December.
Ultimately, these leading organizations in popular world sports were urged to look for ways to punish Russia's involvement in international sport by the leading global sports organization the International Olympic Committee. The International Olympic Committee is a sports organization responsible for promoting the proper conduct and promotion of amateur athletic competition all around the world. Since the war on Ukraine started, the IOC has pressured international organizations to restrict Russian athlete participation and remove international sporting events planned in Russia to signal a toughening of the independent bodies of respective sports on Russia’s standards. The Olympic Truce, a treaty dating back to 776 BC, ensuring safety of athletes and spectators from other regions involved in the Olympics. The Olympic games ended 4 days before the attack on Ukraine. The Russian government should be punished for their heinous actions. "The IOC expresses its deep concerns about the safety of the members of the Olympic community in Ukraine and stands in full solidarity," they said.
IOC President Thomas Bach at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games closing ceremony.
Source: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Russia starting the war with Ukraine plays a major factor in the future of sporting events for years to come. From their recent ban from multiple international sports to the international doping scandal at the Olympics, these actions signal a total disregard for basic values of sports and humanity. There is no reason to involve Russia in any sporting event that’s held outside of their own country for the foreseeable future. Accountability is the core pillar of sport. Russia is responsible for their own actions and should pay the highest price that global sporting organizations can charge to ensure safety and security of sports and the athletes participating in them.