SPORTLITIC

Regarding the current actuality about Russian and Ukrainian Conflict, the subject of banning athletes for political reason is back on the table with all the controversy that politic is use to bring.

Most of the western countries acknowledge there is no freedom in Russia, and plebiscite that is not good to be a political opponent over there, but in same time, they are banning athletes who can’t for the mentioned reason, showing opposition to the actual gouvernement.

When we mentioned the racisme ongoing in Ukraine on african population, we got the easy answer: « You can’t say, all ukrainian are the same », what is totally true, as you can’t say all russian athletes want this war.

this is where politic will never match with sport values, getting politic impacting sport, without the opposite is not supposed to be the expectation.

It can be understood than an organisation want to go through a banning process, but what is the criteria? Why this one and not the others when the situation is exactly the same even worst? This is the best way to showing how you misprize some victims and not others. Your decision showing who you are unlike who the athletes banned are, and only known for their performance.

Some has been more « modaderate » as Crossfit® did the following statement:

We will not recognize the governments of Russia or Belarus throughout the season, and we will remove Russian and Belarusian flags and names from the profiles of individual and team competitors. CrossFit will also cease licensing or producing competitions in the aforementioned countries until further notice.

But again, it’s difficult to give credit to this action in a country where kneeling during national anthem to protest against racism and inequality, has been considered by lot of people  like the ultimate desecration. Not thinking than they love their flag like you love yours, is not the best way to claim the peace.

To conclude, before to jump on political statement, sport organisation should think two time before taking action, especially when we talk about health.