Ukraine will appeal the decision by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) to hold the 2030 World Championships in Moscow and will boycott the competition if it takes place in Russia. Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Matvii Bidnyi said this in a comment to UNN.
Details
“Ukraine will use all legal, political and diplomatic instruments to ensure that the decision by the International Weightlifting Federation to hold the 2030 World Championships in Moscow is reviewed. Our principled position is to be present on the international stage, win, raise the Ukrainian flag and not vacate the arena for Russian propaganda. However, in the case of the 2030 World Championships, if this competition does indeed take place on Russian territory, Ukrainian athletes will not go there,” Bidnyi said.
He stressed that Ukrainian participation in a tournament on the territory of the aggressor state, from where orders to kill civilians and destroy our cities are issued every day, is absolutely impossible for security reasons and morally unacceptable.
“We are currently initiating official appeals to the IWF and the IOC, as well as consolidating the support of international partners and the sports ministers of EU countries and the Council of Europe, in order to prevent the World Championships from being held in Moscow and secure a new, transparent selection process for the host country,” the minister added.
We remind you
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) granted Russia the right to host the 2030 World Weightlifting Championships for adults. The competition will be held in Moscow. This is the first case since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in which an international federation governing an Olympic sport has entrusted Russia with hosting a World Championship of this level.
Ukraine is preparing an appeal to the IWF and the IOC demanding a review of the decision to hold the 2030 World Championships in Moscow. Matvii Bidnyi called on partners to prevent the competition from taking place in Russia.
