The world of sport appears to be softening the hardline stance it took when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Russian athletes are back competing under their own flag at the Paralympics. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the international ban on Russian soccer teams “has not achieved anything.” His counterpart at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry, insists all athletes should be allowed to “compete freely.”
Oleksandr Usyk remains as resolute as ever.
Photo: AP
“My opinion has not changed — this should not be happening,” the Ukrainian heavyweight world boxing champion told The Associated Press.
“People who support the killing of others, the bombing of civilian cities, hospitals, schools and everything else should not have the right to take part in the Olympic Games,” he said.
Usyk has been a defiant symbol of his country’s strength during the conflict, establishing himself as the most dominant heavyweight of his era. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers in history as a unified champion at two weights.
He proudly wraps himself in his country’s flag after each win — a show of solidarity toward his compatriots fighting on the home front.
No surprise, then, that he has strong views on Russia’s readmission to the world of elite sport.
The Russian national anthem rang out at gold medal ceremonies at the Paralympics in Milan Cortina for the first time in more than a decade.
Russian athletes have been allowed to compete as individual neutral athletes during the ban. A speech by Coventry, the new IOC president, during the Winter Olympics last month was widely interpreted as paving the way to Russia taking part in the Los Angeles Summer Games in 2028.
She said athletes should not be held back “by the politics or divisions of their governments.”
Her comments appear to be the direction of travel in the world of sport.
In an interview with Sky News last month, Infantino said world soccer’s governing body FIFA should “definitely” look at lifting its ban on Russia.
The 39-year-old Usyk says sports organizations should continue to take a stand.
“The Olympic Games were created as games of peace,” he said. “But now someone who kills on another person’s orders and launches missiles at another country is allowed to take part in sport — that is complete absurdity.”
“If somebody is even following the orders of his commander-in-chief to go and fight, then they cannot also go to sports competitions and represent their country there,” Usyk said. “Let them continue being a soldier. Because in the evening they are killing and in the morning they compete as athletes. That simply doesn’t add up.”
The undefeated Usyk returns to the ring against kickboxer Rico Verhoeven in Egypt on May 23.
Further down the line, he wants a trilogy fight with Tyson Fury, who announced his comeback from retirement, having already beaten the British boxer twice.
“In my head, Tyson Fury, it’s the last dance,” he said.
The fights with Fury were in Saudi Arabia, which has established itself as a stage for elite sport, such as F1, tennis and the soccer World Cup in 2034. However, the Iran war has disrupted sporting events in the Middle East.
Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes in the region and there is uncertainty whether a soccer match between Argentina and Spain in Qatar later this month would go ahead amid the widening crisis.
An ATP Challenger Tour tennis event in the United Arab Emirates was canceled after players fled the court when a nearby oil
terminal was reportedly hit by a drone attack.
“Given the situation currently unfolding in the world, my task is simply to be ready for what I am preparing for,” said Usyk, regarding fighting again in Saudi Arabia. “Then the organizers will decide where it can be held — where they can stage this show so that it is safe for all participants and spectators.”
Yu Yao-hsing on Tuesday nabbed Taiwan’s only goal in the final round of qualifiers for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup, as they fell 3-1 to Sri Lanka at Taipei Municipal Stadium. Early goals from Sri Lanka in the first half left Taiwan struggling to get on the board, and Christopher Tiao’s own goal at 53 minutes sealed the team’s fate in the third round of qualifiers. While acknowledging that the defeat, Taiwan’s sixth in Group D, was disappointing, head coach Matt Ross said he saw reasons to stay positive about the team’s development. “There were lots of positive signs in terms of the
Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli yesterday vowed to “keep raising the bar” after winning the Japanese Grand Prix to become the youngest driver in Formula One history to lead the championship standings. The 19-year-old Italian took advantage of a mid-race safety car to jump into the lead after a dreadful start from pole position, crossing the line ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Antonelli’s Suzuka victory came two weeks after the first grand prix win of his career in China, and sent him top of the championship standings after three races, nine points ahead of team-mate George Russell. Mercedes are struggling to
INDIGESTION: Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time after a 4-1 defeat to Bosnia on penalties in a loss Gattuso said was ‘difficult to digest’ Coach Graham Arnold on Tuesday challenged his players to “shock the world” after Iraq became the 48th and final team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup with a nerve-shredding 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico, as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) also secured their places at the finals. Iraq, whose preparations were disrupted by the war in the Middle East, sealed their first appearance at the finals in 40 years and are to play in Group I against France, Senegal and Norway. Goals from Ali al-Hamadi
Teng Kai-wei, the only Taiwanese player on an opening-day roster in this year’s Major League Baseball (MLB) season, took his first win of the year with the Houston Astros in his season debut. Teng entered in relief in the top of the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, with the Astros trailing 5-0. He pitched 2-1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, as Houston scored 11 runs during his outing to snatch an 11-9 comeback victory. The win is the Astros’ first of the season and the third of Teng’s MLB career. “It’s my first time pitching for the Astros, so
RSS