Russian President Vladimir Putin has defended the country’s athletes who have faced heavy sanctions ever since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24. During a recent televised ceremony, President Putin presented 16-year-old figure skating star Kamila Valieva with a state reward for her success in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she was also under investigation for a doping case. Amid the investigation, the Court of Arbitration for Sport allowed her to participate in the mega event, where she found success in the team event but the doping scandal affected her individual event.
As reported by Mirror, President Putin defended the teenager and also slammed sporting organizations for their ban on the Russian sporting community. “Through her work, she raised the sport to the level of true art. It is impossible to achieve that kind of perfection dishonestly, with the help of some kind of extra substances or manipulations,” Putin said. At the same time, addressing the issue of the ban on Russian athletes and different events, the President termed the bans as ‘discrimination based on nationality’.
“As far as projects canceled in Russia by the international sporting governing bodies, god be the judge. But in that regard, the canceled competitions with our own new formats and we can get it done almost. Open and all-round attractive multiple-step athletic tournaments, make sure international athletes, teams and clubs take part,” Putin added.
Heavy sanctions on Russian sports community
The Russian sporting community has faced heavy sanctions ever since the Russia-Ukraine war started. In football, the Russian teams have been barred from competing in events organized by FIFA and UEFA. Russian Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin lost his drive with Haas F1 team, after getting sacked, while the Russian and Belarusian athletes were banned from competing in the Wimbledon Championship 2021. This meant that tennis stars like Daniil Medvedev and Aryna Sabalenka are barred from participation. At the same time, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urged international sports governing bodies to exclude Russian athletes and officials from participating in international events. Going ahead, the other sports which have faced similar sanctions are Rugby, Swimming, Chess, and Hockey among the others.
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