Hypocrisy at the highest level
On Thursday, the 27th of July, the Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, current four-time world saber champion, was disqualified from the Fencing World Cup, which takes place in Milan, for not greeting the Russian fencer Anna Smirnova (the rules of the International Fencing Federation fencing athletes are required to shake hands at the end of the bout).
I agree that issues of wars and conflicts between countries should stay out of the sporting world, but since the beginning of the Ukraine-Russian conflict, all competitions have expelled Russian athletes/clubs from competitions.
In the case of fencing this does not happen, that is, Russian or Belarusian athletes can compete.
However, until Wednesday, the 26th of July, the Italian Ministry of Sport prohibited athletes from Ukrainian delegations from participating in competitions where there were Russian or Belarusian delegations.
On that day, the decree-law was changed to prohibit Russian and Belarusian delegations from participating in competitions where Ukrainian delegations are present, that is, instead of being the representatives of Ukraine to be banned, it became the representatives of Russia and Belarus to be banned to participate.
So how did Ana Smirnova participate?
Athletes can simply decide to go as neutral athletes instead of representing their country.
I'm not a fan nor do I follow Fencing, but since it's a world championship, this doesn't make sense because it's a competition between countries and there is no neutral country. The only time this was allowed at the Olympics was the Syrian refugee team.
This situation makes no sense at all because everyone knows the true nationality of the athlete and there will eventually be reactions like these, because after all, Russia invaded another country without any minimally valid reason.
In my humble opinion, to avoid these types of situations like these, all international federations should align themselves and take the same decision which is now banning Russian or Belarusian athletes/clubs from participating in competitions, but they cannot leave loopholes in which athletes decide to be independent.
The hypocrisy has started a looooong time ago. If Russia cannot participate in sports events because it invaded Ukraine, then why are the US, UK and Israel allowed to keep participating in all kinds of events? 🤔
The US has destroyed almost every single country in the Middle East. UK and Israel helped them.
Meanwhile, Israel has been invading Palestine for over 70 years... and now it bombs Lebanon and Syria pretty much every week.
So, why is Russia different than the others?
Hypocrisy, that's why! 🤡🌍
I understand What you are saying but for those countries the international federations didn't done anything.
This time they done but even doing something this happens.
What really makes no sense to me is Collectivism. The Russian Socialist Public Sector State invaded Ukraine. That now means that every Russian individual is guilty of that crime? The Collective in control of the means of production making decisions as such does not speak for private individuals in that Country.
Give this some thought. Are you blamed and penalized for the crimes of an individual of your nationality in your country because both of you are of the same country? Are you guilty of crimes committed by other people in your country? If not, then why do you think a Russian Athlete that decides to compete as an independent private individual rather than representing the Socialist Statist Collective of her country, should be penalized for crimes committed by those scumbags controlling the Economy?
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Have you read this sentence on my post?
So, I think sports shall be out of these conflicts since it was created to bring all countries together and not tear them apart.
However, since the beginning of this conflict, UEFA, FIFA and other federations are trying to have normalization in all sports.
Do you defend that an athlete can “stop” having a nationality to participate in competitions and just because he is not greeted the other is disqualified?
I can't understand this stupid rule, I'm sporty, and I've stopped greeting an opponent for things smaller than an invasion of my country.
The federations are not attacking individual athletes, but trying to prevent Russia from participating with other countries so as not to be talked about, however, we know that athletes end up being harmed.
If you want to let the athletes participate, I think that's fine, but don't let them be independent athletes just to circumvent the rules and pass the cloth on to the athletes, but don't force them to shake hands at the end.
No, not at all. God forbid! I do not defend any thing such as an athlete that fails to greet another athlete for whatever reason to be disqualified for it. The Athlete has a choice to not greet the other athlete if he or she feels like it. Goes back to my argument that it is collectivism that brings about these kind of divisions not individualism.
I do however believe that an Athlete does not need to represent his or her Nationality if he or she doesn't feel like to for whatever reason. I don't believe in Collectivism as that is synonymous with ignorance, and thus do not believe that a certain individual should be judged for what the wider collective does. In Russia's case for example it is the State, as Russia has not had any regard for the individual in hundreds of years.. Does that now mean private individuals are guilty for the crimes of the Public Sector State/the Collective?
In this case we cannot say that the athlete does not like her country or her nationality because until these war-related sanctions she always used the name of her country in addition to the fact that almost certainly the costs of going to the World Cup are borne by Russia therefore, it seems to me that the question that Russia never cared about its people do not apply here.
As far as I know, people who never identified with the regime ended up leaving the country, asking for refuge in other countries or even ending up having the nationality of that country and forgetting their Russian nationality.
Where again was the question of Russia doesn't care about its people? I don't remember asking any such question. In any case, Nationalism is Socialism. There is no difference between the Nationalization of the means of production or the Socialization of the means of production.
If you are assuming that all Russians of the private sector have something to do with the war somehow, and thus are in favor of the Collective running the show. You are seriously mistaken. Private Individuals pledge no allegiance to the Public Sector State Hierarchy.. I am an American.. I am also a Private Individual. I love my Country yes. But i have nothing at all to do with what the Hierarchy is doing, and i definitely hate Nationalism/Socialism. Our founding Fathers hated Democracy/Socialism as much as i hate it. That is why we were suppose to be a Constitutional Republic as Socialism was never suppose to have any place here. Until we were hijacked of course. Now what we have is a Socialist Uni-Party, or wings of the same Bird, bringing people a WWE show to their homes and everyone is falling for it.
However, back to the Athletes. The fact that this Athlete loves her Country, does not mean she supports the Public Sector State Hierarchy at all. That she represented her Country, does not mean she represents the Collective Running it. Nor that she likes them, nor even agrees with them.
I know you'd like to question her sincerity on the matter, but that really isn't our place. Even if she at one point did believe in the collective running her country to the ground. That doesn't automatically means she hasn't changed her mind. Questioning someones sincerity because she believed something yesterday she no longer believes today isn't valid as people can change their minds rather quick about things.
Now, about the other Athlete getting disqualified for using her own freedoms to refuse a hand shake is stupid. I believe rather than blaming the athletes, we should be blaming the Fascist Institution that chose to disqualify this athlete for exercising her freedom in not wanting to make contact with this other Athlete.