The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation announced they will boycott the FIG Congress in November due to the participation of delegates from Russia and Belarus. When the FIG banned athletes and judges from Russia and Belarus back in March, they opted not to ban the officials (which would include an FIG vice-president Nellie Kim and an executive committee member Vassily Titov). Moreover, at the recent Rhythmic Gymnastics World Championships, Belarus’ Liubov Charkashyna participated in an awards ceremony. The FIG president Morinari Watanabe even said he hopes for the return of the athletes from Russia and Belarus in his speech at the opening ceremony.
The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation issued the following statement:
“The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation has decided not to participate in this year’s Congress of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) which is to be held on November 11th-12th, 2022 in Istanbul (Turkey), since representatives of Russia and Belarus, [the countries] that are waging an aggressive and destructive war against Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, were allowed to participate in this official FIG event.”
“Moreover, the venue of the Congress was changed by the FIG from Norway to Turkey precisely so that the representatives of the aggressor states could attend it, since the Norwegian Gymnastics Federation, which was originally supposed to host the Congress, refused to hold this event in Norway, according to recommendations of the Norwegian Olympic Committee, the Confederation of Sports and the Ministry of Culture and Equality not to invite delegates from Russia and Belarus to sports events. Similarly, there will be no representatives of Norway at the Congress in Turkey, for the same reason.”
“The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation considers it unacceptable to sit at the same table and participate in a joint event and discussion of sports issues together with representatives of a country that, with its aggressive and violent actions, violates all norms of international law, human rights, the UN Charter, the Olympic Charter, the FIG Statute and Code of Ethics etc., as well as the country that is an accomplice of the aggressor.”
“The war which was started and is being waged by Russia and Belarus causes untold suffering to every Ukrainian, brings death, pain, destruction, threatens the world order and causes negative consequences that are felt in different parts of the world. The consequences of the war for Ukrainian sports are also catastrophic. A large number of sports infrastructure facilities were destroyed or damaged. A large number of athletes were forced to leave the country and become refugees, and some of them were killed. Many athletes have lost the opportunity to train and live under constant fire.”
“The Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation once again declares its position that not only athletes from Russia and Belarus, but also any other officials from Russia and Belarus who represent these countries in the FIG should be suspended from participating in the sports events of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), or hold official positions in the FIG as “neutral” persons.nThe Ukrainian Gymnastics Federation thanks the Norwegian Gymnastics Federation for its principled position, which advocates for the highest values of human life and dignity.”
