Sports pile pressure: No UCL final, F1 races in Russia, Poland refuse to play WC qualifier

Russia launched its invasion by land, air and sea on Thursday following a declaration of war by President Vladimir Putin. An estimated 100,000 people have fled as explosions and gunfire rocked major cities. Dozens have been reported killed.

The International Olympic Committee urged sports bodies to cancel or move all events they plan to hold in Russia and Belarus, and stop using the countries’ flags and national anthems. The request from the Olympic body came after UEFA moved the Champions League final from St. Petersburg to suburban Paris, and after the governing body of skiing and Formula One pulled upcoming races from Russia.

Labour MP Chris Bryant urged the British government on Friday to seize the assets of Russian billionaire and Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, citing concerns about alleged links to corruption. Abramovich was identified by the Home Office in 2019 as having links to the Russian state as well as to “corrupt activity and practices”, Bryant said, suggesting the UK should seize his assets and bar him from owning the football club.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko said he would take up arms alongside his brother and fellow Hall of Famer Wladimir Klitschko to fight in what is a “bloody war” following Russia’s invasion of their country Ukraine.

Even Russian sports stars have come forward to express their concern over the ongoing crisis. Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev has written “No War Please” on a TV camera moments after advancing to the final at the Dubai Championships.  Meanwhile, new World No. 1 in men’s tennis Daniil Medvedev said, “Watching the news from home, waking up here in Mexico, was not easy. By being a tennis player, I want to promote peace all over the world. We play in so many different countries; I’ve been in so many countries as a junior and as a pro. It’s just not easy to hear all this news. … I’m all for peace.”

Here are the list of bans on Russia in the sporting world:

– Poland’s Football Association said that Poland will not play a World Cup qualifying soccer match against Russia. Russia is due to host Poland in the semi-finals of its strand of the World Cup playoffs on March 24 and, if its team advances, is scheduled to host either Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 in the Path B final. Poland and Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandoski has supported Poland FA decision of not playing their World Cup qualifying match.

– Formula One dropped this season’s Russian Grand Prix at Sochi, as the invasion of Ukraine drew punitive measures in the sporting world. The F1 race wasn’t due until September in the Black Sea resort of Sochi but the motorsport series leadership decided it would be “impossible” to stage the Grand Prix after talks with teams and the FIA governing body.

– Russia was stripped of hosting the Champions League final by UEFA on Friday with St. Petersburg replaced by Paris. The showpiece final in the European men’s football season will still be held on May 28 but now at the 80,000-seat Stade de France in the Saint-Denis suburb of the French capital after the decision by UEFA’s executive committee. It followed discussions led by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin that involved the European Commission and French President Emmanuel Macron in recent days after concerns were raised about the status of Russia retaining such a prestigious event after its aggression toward another European country.