The Ukrainian Ministry of Sports decided today, Friday, to ban national sports teams from competing in Olympic and non-Olympic competitions, as well as the Paralympics, that include competitors from Russia and Belarus. This decision was criticized by some Ukrainian athletes after the International Olympic Committee angered Kyiv by paving the way for athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete as neutrals despite Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ukrainian Olympic snowboarder Vladyslav Heraskevych criticized the ban, stating that it would lead to the destruction of Ukrainian sports. He wrote on his official Twitter account, "If Ukrainians do not participate in competitions, we completely vacate international sports arenas and give representatives from Russia and Belarus the opportunity to promote their narratives and propaganda."
Ukraine had previously warned its sports federations that they would lose their current status if athletes competed internationally with athletes from Russia and Belarus.
