The Verkhovna Rada Youth and Sports Committee of Ukraine is calling on international federations to abolish mandatory handshakes and greetings in tournaments where both Ukrainian and Russian or Belarusian athletes compete. The statement was published on the organization’s Telegram channel.
“Therefore, it is extremely important to call on international sports federations to change the rules of sports competitions and to remove the mandatory handshake or salute in competitions where both Ukrainian and Russian or Belarusian athletes participate,” the statement said.
On July 27, Ukrainian sword fencer Olga Kharlan defeated Russian Anna Smirnova with a score of 15:7 in the 1/32 final of the World Championships in Milan. After the victory, the Ukrainian refused the forced handshake and left the track. The athlete was disqualified for a personal tournament, but was able to participate in team competitions.
The suspension was later lifted. Ukraine national team lost 32:45 to South Korea in the bronze medal match.
old ukraine He insisted world leaders will ban the entry of athletes from Russia.