Russian Sportspersons Face The Brunt

Federation International de Football Association (FIFA) and the Union of European Football Association (UEFA) suspended Russia's national and club teams from all international football competitions after backlash over President Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Global football governing body FIFA, after making a U-turn (after it joined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in acting after days of growing protest), has suspended all Russian teams from participating in all international events, including the World Cup later this year. UEFA, the governing body of European football, has followed suit, banning Russian representation in club and international competitions. But the decision came hours after FIFA had allowed Russia to participate in the 2022 World Cup playoffs, or any competition for that matter, under the name Football Union of Russia (RFU). One has to agree that there is no fault of the footballers or other sportsmen because they have practiced for a long time and have aspirations but suddenly Russia's unilateral attack towards Ukraine makes all the difference.

Not only the FIFA and UEFA have taken a strong stand today, even the IOC Executive Board has also recommended no participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials. The suspension means Russia will not be able to face Poland in a World Cup play-off semi-final next month, while its women's team will also be barred from this summer's European Championship in England and its remaining club side in European competition, Spartak Moscow, will no longer compete in the Europa League.

Moreover, the IOC also went directly after Russian President Vladimir Putin, who turned the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics into a personal project, but Putin's golden Olympic Order, which was awarded in 2001, has also been withdrawn. Whatsoever, this decision is a lesson to all the dictators and crazy leaders that the world will not sit on the bench watching.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee

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