Ukrainian issues plea over Russia ban with tennis not ‘taking action’

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Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has called on Russia to be banned from the Olympics, hitting out at the lack of ‘action’ being taken in her own sport. Russian and Belarusian athletes have been banned from a number of sports and events due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Tennis has taken a slightly more lenient approach, allowing Russian and Belarusian nationals to continue to compete on the WTA and ATP Tours, but under a neutral flag. For many – including Svitolina – this is not enough.

The latest question mark surrounding Russian sports stars is whether they will be allowed to compete at the Olympic Games in Paris next summer. If a ban is not put in place, a group of nations led by Ukraine have vowed to boycott the Games.

This would of course be a huge miss for the athletes of the Eastern European nation, who would miss out on the chance to compete at the pinnacle of sport. As a result, Svitolina has called on the International Olympic Committee to take action on Russia.

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She told Reuters: “This is the right way because when the war is still here and people are still dying because of the Russian army. We can’t go and lead normal lives like nothing is happening.

“In tennis there was no action taken. They put them under a neutral flag… I hope we don’t have to make this decision of boycotting the Olympics… Our athletes aren’t training in good conditions. Almost all sports venues have been destroyed.”

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Another Ukrainian star who has called on a Russian Olympic ban is heavyweight champion boxer Oleksandr Usyk. Labelling the medals won by Russian athletes ‘medals of blood’, he said: “Russian army is killing Ukrainian athletes and coaches and destroying sports grounds as well as sports halls.

“The medals that Russian athletes are going to win are medals of blood, death and tears. Let me wish you to have peaceful sky above you and to be in good health and happy.”

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