Russian Return to Sports: Anger from North and Baltic States
Here’s a summary of the provided text, focusing on the key points:
* Russian Athletes Returning to World Cup: Two Russian representatives are returning to the World Cup, causing “panic” among neighboring countries (specifically the Baltic states).
* Baltic States’ Opposition: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania maintain a strict ban on athletes from Russia and Belarus, even those competing under a neutral flag. Thay face potential sanctions from international federations (like Kirsty Coventry has pointed out) due to this stance.
* reasons for the Ban: The Baltic states believe allowing Russian/belarusian participation, even neutrally, provides a platform for state propaganda, especially targeting youth.
* Conditions for Potential Participation: They propose allowing only athletes who demonstrably pass neutrality and anti-doping tests and have no ties to the Russian/Belarusian governments or propaganda apparatus. They also want to ensure anti-russian athletes can protest freely.
* Support for Boycotters: The Baltic states are seeking protection for those who refuse to compete against Russian/Belarusian athletes, wanting them to avoid punishment.
* Solidarity with Ukraine: they emphasize their continued solidarity with ukrainian athletes and people, viewing sports as a potential tool for reconciliation after the conflict in Ukraine ends, but not while it continues.
* Past boycotts: The Baltic states have a history of boycotting competitions involving Russian and Belarusian teams, including cancelling football/futsal matches. This is expected to extend to junior championships.
* Ukraine’s Shift in Strategy: Ukraine has moved away from a complete boycott of events with Russian/Belarusian flags, maintaining only a ban on handshakes.
In essence, the article details the ongoing tension surrounding the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competitions, with the Baltic states taking a especially hardline stance in support of Ukraine.