Ukrainian sports minister says Russian athletes shouldn’t feel welcome in France
During his visit to Paris on 2 and 3 April, Ukrainian Sports Minister Matvi Bidny told ‘Le Monde’ that Ukraine was closely following the International Olympic Committee’s examination of athletes eligible to take part in the Olympic Games
Matvi Bidny studied five sites in the Île-de-France region, including some in Paris, which could host the Maison de l’Ukraine, as proposed by France. The Parc de la Villette in Paris, where Club France and many National Olympic Committees will be based, seemed to be the favourite of the Ukrainian delegation.
Although Kiev has not definitively ruled out boycotting the Paris Games, “we are closely following the latest developments at the International Olympic Committee (IOC),” said Bidny. Ukraine intends to use the event to defend its cause and its athletes.
“Our position is and will remain very firm: we are against the participation of athletes from a murderous state [Russia] in any neutral capacity, not only in the Olympic Games, but also in all international sports competitions,” he added.
Four months before the start of the 33rd Olympic Games of the modern era in Paris, the IOC ambiguous position on the presence of athletes from Russia and Belarus continues to cause problems, with constant quotes and reactions from both sides.
Matvi Bidny, a former wrestler, stated that “we are very grateful that Ukrainian athletes are welcome in France”, adding that “it is essential that Russian athletes do not feel welcome in France”. Recently, the Spanish-born mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, said that Russian and Belarusian athletes were “not welcome” at this summer’s biggest sporting event.