“We have many coaches and athletes killed, because of the war, because of Russia”

Currently, athletes with a Russian or Belarusian passport can participate in the Winter Olympics, but only under a neutral flag, without representing their country. A committee reviews the case of each athlete who wishes to participate and grants permission only if he did not express his support for the war that Russia started in Ukraine.

Matvii Bidnyi: “If you commit a crime, I don't think you should be allowed to have an international stage”

Matvii Bidnyi, Acting Minister of Sports and Youth, gave an interview to CNN in which he described the reality facing Ukraine and the difficulties Ukrainian athletes have in preparing for international competitions.

“We have many problems with preparing for competitions. We have many coaches and athletes killed, we suffered huge losses because of the war, because of Russia. I think we are very far from a final position where we can say that justice has been done“, said Bidnyi.

“Of course, winter sports facilities require even more resources. They need more electricity, at least. For example, ice arenas need a steady flow of electricity. Now, if you walk in the streets of Kiev, you can hear a lot of generators, engines generating electricity, because we have a big problem with this, because Russia is practicing (energy) terrorism“, added the 46-year-old minister.

According to official data provided by the Ministry of Sports and Youth of Ukraine, approx 800 sports bases they were damaged in the last 3 years, after the Russian invasion. This significantly affects the training capacity of Ukrainian athletes.

“Sometimes international sports organizations try to support Russian and Belarusian athletes, covering themselves with the principle of sports autonomy, a certain political neutrality, that sports should be outside of politics. But everyone should understand that war is not politics, war is a crime. And if you commit a crime, I don't think you should be allowed to have an international stage or justify your crime,” he explained, with firmness, Bidnyi.

“I think some of our international partners are too diplomatic about this. I think we need to be more united about sport being an important part of the international agenda… international sports organizations have a responsibility for the situation in society“, he also said.

At the same time, Matvii Bidnyi believes that sports can be a way for his countrymen to show their courage and send a message to the world.

“It is still an important opportunity to talk about Ukraine, to show our athletes. Of course, to be present in the most important international sports context is a great honor for Ukraine and I think it is a sign of our resilience. It is a sign of our strength as a country and demonstrates our will to win, not only on the sports arenas, but also on the battlefield for our values, for our common, European and free world values,” the Ukrainian minister concluded.

Oleksandr Abramenko, multiple medalist at the Winter Olympics/Photo: Imago Images