The world of sport has agreed, in a consent rarely seen in the main institutions that govern it, to transform into exemplary punishments his contempt for the war that the Russian government has decided to start in Ukraine.
This was a circumstance that Vladimir Putin most likely already reckoned with. And needless to say, it was an outcome he didn’t care too much about. What the Russian leader perhaps did not expect was with the internal reply that he was going to receive his delirium of war.
In a court nation authoritarian and with limited freedom of expression, many of Russia’s top athletes are raising their voices to take a clear stand against the invasion of Ukraine.
Curiously, the beginning of this conflict coincided with the rise of Daniil Medvedev to number one in the ATP ranking, being the second tennis player other than Reef Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic who achieves it in 18 years, after Andy Murray will achieve it for a few months in 2016.
It could have been, in short, a great propaganda tool for the Russian regime. However, the reigning US Open winner has positioned himself against the war started by Putin.
“Today I want to speak on behalf of all the children in the world. They all have dreams, their life is just beginning […]. Because of that I want ask for peace in the world, peace between countries“, published the new number one in the world on his Instagram account.
It was much more direct Andrey Rublev, which currently occupies the sixth position in the ATP ranking. Last week, after overcoming the quarterfinals of the Dubai tournament (which he ended up winning), he took advantage of the classic habit of signing one of the cameras to launch his message.
“No war please“. “No to war, please,” the Russian wrote. A message similar to the one he expressed Yevgeny Kafelnikovthe first Russian number one in history, on his social accounts: “STOP the WAR”.
Much more direct still Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova14th in the WTA ranking: “I have always represented Russia. It is my home and my country. But now I have very afraidas well as my friends and family. I’m not afraid to show my position, I’m against the war and violence. Personal or political motives cannot justify violence.”
debate in tennis
These messages are prior to a debate that tennis is experiencing right now about what to do with Russian competitors, after the request of the International Olympic Committee that athletes from Russia and Belarus not be allowed to compete in international competitions.
In this context, the Ukrainian tennis player Elina Svitolina refused in the early hours of Monday to Tuesday to face the Russian Anastasia Potapova on Monterreyrequesting the organizers of world tennis to withdraw any national symbols of Russians and Belarusians.
“I don’t blame any of the Russian tennis players. They are not responsible of the invasion of our homeland. Also, I want to acknowledge all the players, especially the Russians and Belarusians, who bravely expressed their position against the war. Your support is essential,” Svitolina said.
Soccer
Outside of tennis, perhaps the most striking message has been that of the former Celta footballer Fedor Smolov. The Russian striker is one of the stars of the national team, recently excluded from the race for the World Cup and also currently plays in the local league, in the dynamo moscow.
Despite all these circumstances, Smolov did not hesitate to express a resounding “No to war” on his social networks, written in Russian.
Significant was also the gesture of Aleksej MiranchukRussian who shares a locker room at Atalanta with the Ukrainian Ruslan Malinovskiy. Last Thursday he scored a goal that he did not celebrate and from the club they confirmed the closeness with which both are experiencing this situation: “While the war began, They embraced in the locker room and the rest of us joined. In our locker room is the example that these peoples can live in peace“.
In the Spanish First Division there is only one Russian footballer, although raised in Spain: Denis Cheryshev. The international winger of Valencia has not yet spoken about the war, neither for nor against, although his father has. Dmitriformer Sporting de Gijón player.
“There are sadness on his face when we speak. We are not watching the news, we try to focus on football. war is a bad thingit’s very painful for everyone,” the former Russian striker said in Cope.
One of the most forceful contrary positions is the one formulated by Pavel Sivakov, born in Italy, raised in France but racing under the Russian flagthe country of birth of both parents.
“I am totally against the war and all my thoughts are with the Ukrainian people. I want everyone to understand that the majority of Russians just want peace and that we should not be hated because of our origin. Paz“, published the Ineos runner on his social networks.
The positioning of all these sports idols can undoubtedly contribute to the internal rejection of the Russians to the war, despite the repression that the Putin regime is already exercising, with thousands detained in protests against the invasion of Ukraine.
