World sport reacts against Russian invasion of Ukraine
Clutching blue and yellow banners, wearing shirt calling for peace, and offering unwavering messages of support, sport around the globe has united in its condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Action from federations
After issuing a statement to recommend that no events should be hosted in either Russia or Belarus, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have asked the international sports federations to not all athletes from these two countries to participate in any tournament under the name of Russia or Belarus.
The IOC stressed that by taking this measure federations would take a step forward in their bid to protect the integrity of the competitions, as well as the safety of those participating.
The IOC board revealed that they will withdraw the Olympic Order from all members of the Russian government who hold it, including Vladimir Putin, his deputy prime minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, who was in charge of the Sochi Winter Games in 2014, and the deputy chief of staff of the Presidential Executive Office, Dmitry Kozak.
The statement reads: "Wherever this is not possible on short notice for organisational or legal reasons, the IOC EB strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sports events worldwide to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus be allowed to take part under the name of Russia or Belarus.
"Russian or Belarusian nationals, be it as individuals or teams, should be accepted only as neutral athletes or neutral teams. No national symbols, colours, flags or anthems should be displayed."
Following the change of venue for the Champions League final and the cancellation of Formula 1's Russian Grand Prix, several federations have taken more measures against Russia. The football associations of Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic issued a joint statement urging World Cup play-off matches not to be held in Russia.
The International Badminton Federation (BWF) have cancelled tournaments which were planned to take place in Russia and Belarus. It also determined that the flags of Russia and Belarus will not be displayed in any of their events, nor will the anthems of both countries be heard until further notice.
"BWF will continue to monitor the situation closely and will proactively consult our international sport movement partners to discuss other options to potentially strengthen measures against the governments of Russia and Belarus," read their statement.
Meanwhile, Moscow have been stripped of Karate1-Premier League hosting rights. The Executive Committee of the World Karate Federation unanimously decided to relocate the tournament to another venue that has yet to be chosen.
"The WKF would like to express its hope for a prompt reestablishment of peace, normality, and stability in Eastern Europe and in the world," a WKF statement noted.
"With the protection of all karate athletes at its core, the WKF will continue doing its utmost to ensure the best conditions for athletes at all WKF events."
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has already reacted by announcing that the flags of Russia and Belarus will not be displayed and the anthems of these countries will not be played in international events held by FIDE.
They will also terminate all existing sponsorship agreements with any state-sanctioned and/or controlled Belarusian and Russian companies.
The International Swimming Federation (FINA) decided to cancel the Junior World Championships, which were scheduled to be held in August in the Russian city of Kazan, and has agreed that Russia will not host any events in the future if the invasion of Ukraine continues. For the time being, however, the World Short Course Swimming Championships have not been moved from Kazan.
Meanwhile, the Australian Swimming Federation announced that they will not participate in the World Cup. The decision was taken because they prioritise "the safety of the athletes and staff" and they asked the International Swimming Federation to find other "alternative" venues to host the event "safely".
Financial impact
German club FC Schalke announced the termination of their main shirt sponsor, Russian state-owned gas giant Gazprom. The current five-year deal (2017-2022) is worth up to EUR 30 million a year with bonuses, almost 40 per cent of the club’s most recent annual commercial revenue from 2020, while the club were set to extend the current deal for the next three years (2022-2025) for EUR 10 million annually.
UEFA has also announced that it will terminate its sponsorship contract with Gazprom, which has been in place since 2012 and reportedly worth EUR 40 million per season.
In the Premier League, Manchester United have cancelled their five-year (2018-2023), long-standing partnership with Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, which the British government has already banned from UK airports as part of a raft of sanctions. The deal is worth an estimated EUR 7-8 million a year, equating to approximately 2.5 per cent of the cubs commercial income for the 2020/21 season.
Everton FC has cut ties with its Russian sponsors, including USM which is owned by oligarch Alisher Usmanov, who had purchased an option on naming rights for the Toffees’ new stadium - a deal worth £30 million. Russian telecommunications brand MegaFon is among USM Holdings’ businesses and signed a multi-year principal partnership deal with the Everton women’s team in October 2020, when Yota – part of the MegaFon Group – was added to the sleeve.
Everton’s decision comes amid Roman Abramovich’s statement of intent to sell Chelsea FC. Abramovich has collected 17 major trophies since he took control in 2003, when he bought the club from Ken Bates for £140 million. He hopes to sell the club for around £3 billion, while writing off the £1.5 billion debt he is owed by the club, although there are serious doubts over whether he will receive bids near that figure.
In statement on the Blues’ website, Abramovich said: “I have instructed my team to set up a charitable foundation where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. The foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine. This includes providing critical funds towards the urgent and immediate needs of victims, as well as supporting the long-term work of recovery.”
Formula One team Haas have removed Uralkali’s branding from its car and ran an all-white livery on the final day of testing in Barcelona. Haas have run their cars with Russian flags and Uralkali stickers on it since last season as part of a title sponsorship deal, which has secured funding for the team and seen company owner and billionaire Dmitry Mazepin's son Nikita signed to a race seat. The team remain at risk of losing Uralkali as its title sponsor, but according to team principal Guenther Steiner, Haas can withstand the loss of income from the multi-year deal.
Nikita Mazepin may be able to keep his place at Haas if he manages to secure a racing licence from another country ahead of the new Formula One season, after Motorsport UK ruled that all drivers with Russian or Belarusian licences will be banned from competing in UK events until further notice. Haas have run their cars with Russian flags and Uralkali stickers on it since last season as part of a title sponsorship deal, which has secured funding for the team and seen company owner and billionaire Dmitry Mazepin's son Nikita signed to a race seat.
Support from athletes
Organisations haven’t been alone in taking a strong stand against the Ukraine invasion.
Andrey Rublev, the Russian tennis player who won a doubles title with Ukrainian Denys Molchanov last weekend, called for peace via Instagram. “In these moments you realise that my match is not important,” said Rublev. “What’s happening is much more terrible.”
Although no tour events are set to take place in Russia until autumn, an International Tennis Federation spokeswomen told news outlets that the organisation was “closely monitoring how this situation evolves” with regards to several lower-level events.
World Athletics, the global governing body for track and field, said it is “appalled” by the crisis in Ukraine, and president Sebastian Coe offered the Ukrainian Athletics Federation “whatever practical support we can give.”
Australia’s divers and skiers have pulled out of competitions in Russia, drawing praise from Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who called on all athletes to follow suit. “I commend those Australians that are saying they won’t participate in anything that is occurring in Russia this year,” said Morrison. “This is how you impose a cost on Russia that is invading its neighbour.”
The 2022 Russian Grand Prix scheduled to take place in Sochi in September, has been cancelled, with Formula One stating that it was “impossible” to hold the race “in current circumstances.”
Already, some of racing’s biggest names—including current world champion Max Verstappen and four-time champion Sebastian Vettel—had refused to race in Russia in solidarity with Ukraine’s plight. “When a country is at war, it is not correct to race there,” Verstappen told media amid pre-race testing in Barcelona.