It has been almost a year since the Russian army attacked Ukraine. Tens of thousands of people have died since February 24, 2022. An end to the war is not in sight. The war is a turning point for Ukrainian society and thus also for sport.
“The people who are still in sports will be impoverished in a year,” says Mark Perelmann in the Deutschlandfunk sports talk. “They try to come to the competitions with their last fortune, or with what they still have.” Perelmann is a former fencer. He was born in Ukraine and has lived in Germany since he was seven. He is currently active as a coach and referee and was present at many international tournaments in this capacity last year.
Of course, the training of the Ukrainian fencers was also influenced by the war, says Perelmann. “What I’m told sounds very macabre. Part of the training takes place and then there’s an air raid alarm again in the middle of training. They have to hide again.”
Ukrainian fencing championships as a message
Nevertheless, Ukrainian championships were held in the U17 area. “Extra athletes from all over Europe came back to Kiev. They held the competitions with generators. And the competitions had to be interrupted due to an air raid alarm.” But with that you want to send a message, says the 28-year-old: “People want to show that you don’t want to leave the country. That you may not be in the country anymore, but that you definitely want to come back and that you Don’t let Russia scare you.”
After the start of the war, help for affected athletes also came from Germany, reports Léa Krüger, also a fencer and member of the executive committee of the independent athletes’ association “Athleten Deutschland”. “The response from German sports associations and also from athletes was huge. The organization ‘Athletes for Ukraine’ with Felix Loch made a very, very strong commitment. Just as the German Fencing Association then accepted athletes, other organizations did the same and bandages made.” There are also foundations that primarily support young athletes. “As long as the war of aggression continues, I can very well imagine that this support will also continue.”
It is important to mention again and again how important this help is, says Krüger. “I have a bit of the feeling that some of the population in Germany has gotten a bit tired of hearing about it, which is understandable to some extent because you’ve somehow gotten used to it.”
More than 220 Ukrainian coaches and athletes died
However, many athletes had to stay in Ukraine, some even had to go to war. According to the Ukrainian government, more than 220 coaches and athletes have fallen in the war. Relatives of athletes also fall victim to the war, reports Perelmann. “Stories like this keep piling up. It’s just a disaster.”
According to Perelmann, the task of the still active athletes is as follows: “They tell themselves that we use our country more if we represent the country in sport and train the soft power. That we carry the country to the outside world so that Ukraine remains visible and is not forgotten. That is their job. You have to remember that not everyone can fight at the front and the war is not just fought at the front. You have to look at the war as a whole. And that’s why everyone is doing their best to deal with it Ukraine will remain independent as a country and the word Ukraine will exist at all in the future.”
Krüger: “Russia has exploited sport for years”
Krüger says that sport has been used for war purposes for years. “And from Russia in the last few years quite massively. But unfortunately one has to say, not only from Russia. There are also other regimes that also use it and that’s why it’s nothing new that Ukraine is now saying that we want to be here show a presence.” It’s like a liberation, or a counterattack, says Krüger. “With a view to Russia, we’ve seen a lot in recent years with the instrumentalization of sport in politics and for propaganda purposes.”
A major topic at the moment is how global sport treats Russian and Belarusian athletes. The International Olympic Committee now wants to allow these athletes back to the 2024 Olympic Games under a neutral flag, provided they have not actively supported the war.
Athletes against the readmission of Russian athletes
“The big problem is that a lot of Russian athletes are in state structures,” says Perelmann. “It is very questionable whether we should allow these people to the games.” “None of the other athletes would be thrilled if the Russians were to return at this point.” Krüger agrees: “Opinions are clearly going so that one says: no, no one supports the re-admission of the Russian and Belarusian athletes at this point in time.”
According to Krüger, some athletes would have spoken about a boycott in the event. “A big, difficult topic,” says the 27-year-old. “Actually, you have to talk about what kind of sanctions you can impose on a state and an NOC when values and rules of sport are violated so massively.” This debate is “completely” missing.
Perelmann adds: “Those who really want to start and don’t support the regime have opportunities,” he says, referring to the Russian athletes who, thanks to dual citizenship, are now competing for other countries. Krüger adds: “If you speak out so clearly against the war and accept a new citizenship, then you don’t belong to the Russian NOK in that sense. And then you can start for the other country.”
Krüger: Against the war represent a “difficult step” for Russians
In Russia and Belarus, however, it is not possible for athletes to oppose the regime, says the fencer. “Careers depend, lives depend and financial aspects also depend on it. Some of them feed their families and then taking a stand against the war is a difficult step. You really can’t expect any athlete to handle it so actively.”
According to Krüger, it must be defined what it means not to actively speak out in favor of the war. “Where do you draw the line?” she asks. She sees the IOC as having a duty to lead this discussion. “There would have to be control mechanisms, there would have to be sanctions. It would have to be written down what happens if this is exceeded. And then also: Who controls it? Who sanctions? I think there’s a lot of potential and I think that it is urgently needed. But at the moment I don’t believe in the belief of the IOC and the other NOCs to really go in there.”
Olympic boycott a “difficult topic”
If Russian and Belarusian athletes are allowed to take part in the Olympic Games, Ukraine may react with a boycott. “A difficult topic,” says Perelmann. “But I fully understand the athletes who then say we don’t want to take part in the Olympic Games.”
According to Perelmann, the problem is that many Russian athletes are anchored in state structures. “And that’s why Ukrainian athletes don’t want to participate if these athletes participate. And if they are allowed, unfortunately these athletes will participate. Otherwise, there is almost no Russian national team.”
Krüger recently spoke to a Russian athlete at a championship on the subject. “She says that right now, even if a Russian athlete has opposed the war or would compete under a neutral flag, she doesn’t want to see him.”
However, a boycott is always at the expense of the athletes, according to Krüger. “For us, the Olympic qualification starts in April, like in many other sports. That’s what you’ve worked for your whole life. Now just to say: No, I’m not going to compete now and then somehow I’ll leave it to the Russian athletes But clear the field, that’s an insane decision. And that’s why I think boycotts are stupid. It has to be a personal decision for every athlete. It shouldn’t be decided by a higher authority.”