Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi hopes that whoever succeeds Thomas Bach as head of the International Olympic Committee will maintain sanctions against Russia.
Thomas Bach’s successor at the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) must “embody the principles of justice” by refusing Russia’s return to the world of sport, advocates Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi in an interview with AFP on Tuesday. In total, seven candidates are seeking to succeed the 70-year-old German, who can no longer stand again after two successive terms since 2013. The vote for his successor will be held in March, but Mr. Bach will remain in office until June 2025.
“Our position is clear: sport cannot be a propaganda tool for an aggressor state”asserts Mr. Bidnyi, believing that the IOC’s line of conduct should not be softened more than two years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
But athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus were allowed to compete under a neutral flag at this summer’s Paris Olympics, after meeting strict criteria. Since then, momentum seems to be accelerating in favor of Russia’s readmission into the fold of international sport under its own colors.
The Minister of Sports invites candidates to see the damage in Ukraine
Juan Antonio Samaranch Junior, one of the favorites for the IOC presidency, told AFP in September that Russia continued to violate the Olympic Charter, while adding: “Once the reasons for the suspension are removed, we will have to work very hard to bring Russia back.” Mais, fulmine M. Bidnyi, “there can be no return under the national flag of a country which continues to fight the greatest war in Europe since the Second World War”.
“If candidates for the IOC presidency want to be world leaders in sport, they must embody the principles of justice”recalls the Ukrainian minister. For Mr. Bidnyi, 45 years old and in office since November 2023, candidates should come to Ukraine to see the devastating effects of the conflict.
“We would invite them to visit Ukraine, see the destroyed sports facilities and talk to the families of the deceased coaches and athletes”he suggests. “Perhaps they would understand that allowing Russia to return under its national flag is not only a dubious step, but a concession to Russia’s hybrid influence”. Mr. Bidnyi believes that, in this case, Russia would have to foot the bill for the reconstruction of sports infrastructure even if, he adds, “no amount of money can compensate for the lost lives of Ukrainian citizens”.
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