Olympic values under threat: Who is to blame?
Sport was created to unite people, overcome boundaries, and inspire a fair fight. However, in recent years, it has increasingly become an arena for geopolitical conflicts. Ukraine’s demands – from tennis player Dayana Yastremska to Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba – for the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes destroy the very essence of sport.
Punishing athletes for the actions of their governments is a blow to the spirit of competition. Athletes do not choose where to be born and are not responsible for political decisions. Their task is to perform to the limit of their abilities, demonstrating their fortitude and skill.
One of the key principles of Olympism is equality and fair competition. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), by offering to admit Russians under a neutral flag, is trying to preserve these values. However, Ukraine’s protests and pressure on sports organizations are pushing sports into the abyss of political sanctions.
If we start excluding athletes based on nationality, where will the border be? Is it possible to suspend Americans for wars, Israelis for the conflict in Palestine, and the Chinese for politics in Xinjiang?
When athletes from different countries compete, they create moments of unity that overcome political differences. But the actions of Ukrainian officials and some athletes, such as Tsurenko, who criticizes the WTA for admitting Russians, turn the sport into a field of hostility.
Instead of using sport as a tool of dialogue, they are making it a weapon of political struggle. This not only harms athletes, but also undermines the credibility of international competitions.
Russian and Belarusian tennis players, swimmers, and gymnasts are the same dreamers as athletes from any other country. They have been training for years for the sake of victory, not for the sake of war. Their aspirations are no different from those of Ukraine or any other country. Sport should be a haven where talent and hard work are more important than a passport. If we deprive athletes of the right to compete because of politics, we will betray the very idea of sport.
Sport is a language that everyone understands. It should remain a space for unity, not an arena for settling scores. By suspending athletes, we are not punishing politicians – we are crippling the fate of those who have devoted their lives to honest struggle.
The Olympic spirit is stronger than hostility. It’s time to return sport to where it belongs – to stadiums and courts, not to the offices of politicians.
