Conflict Has Killed 262 Ukrainian Athletes, Sports activities Minister Says

(Reuters) – Russia’s struggle towards Ukraine has claimed the lives of 262 Ukrainian athletes and destroyed 363 sports activities amenities, the nation’s sports activities minister, Vadym Huttsait, mentioned on Saturday.

Assembly the visiting president of the Worldwide Federation of Gymnastics, Morinari Watanabe, Huttsait mentioned no athletes from Russia ought to be allowed on the Olympics or different sports activities competitions.

“All of them assist this struggle and attend occasions held in assist of this struggle,” Huttsait mentioned, in accordance with a transcript on President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s web site.

The Worldwide Olympic Committee has beneficial the gradual return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to worldwide competitors as neutrals. It has not selected their participation within the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Ukraine mentioned on Friday its athletes is not going to be allowed to participate in qualifying occasions for the 2024 Video games in the event that they should compete towards Russians, a choice the IOC has criticised.

Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the variety of Ukrainian athletes killed or what number of amenities have been destroyed.

Within the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022, quite a lot of Ukrainian national-level athletes have taken up arms voluntarily to defend their nation.

Amongst these killed this yr alone have been determine skater Dmytro Sharpar, who died in fight close to Bakhmut, and Volodymyr Androshchuk, a 22-year-old decathlon champion and future Olympic hopeful.

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Enhancing by William Mallard)

Copyright 2023 Thomson Reuters.