Europe Asia News

Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi made a statement on the political neutrality of global sport and the struggle Ukrainian athletes have been facing under wartime conditions.

Speaking about the politicization of sport, Tykhyi said: "No matter how much international sports officials and global sports bureaucrats insist that sport is 'outside of politics', this has never been true for regimes like Lukašenko’s and Putin’s. For them, sport is not just a political action; it is one of the main tools of state policy, including state propaganda, and more specifically, war propaganda.”

Highlighting the impact of war on the sports community, Tykhyi said: “Russia’s war against Ukraine has led to the death or injury of over 600 Ukrainian athletes or coaches. Hundreds of sports facilities in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged; this has left athletes constantly under threat and forced them to train in conditions of severe infrastructure deprivation.”

Emphasizing the determination of Ukrainian athletes despite all the difficulties, Tykhyi concluded his statement by saying: “However, despite all these challenges, Ukrainian athletes continue to show extraordinary resilience and determination, preparing for and competing in international events, even under these conditions.”