Over the course of the last 72 hours, the world has watched in horror as Ukraine’s sovereignty has been put in jeopardy. The Russian military invasion of Ukraine is unwarranted, and has sparked outrage across the globe. A lot of the big voices to speak out publicly have been sports athletes. The messages being shared have ranged from “peace in Ukraine” and “no war, please” to heartbreaking messages from Ukrainian athletes who no longer have a place to call home.
While it is difficult to articulate how sad and dire the unfolding situation in Ukraine is, here is a list of how athletes across the globe have responded:
- Prior to a February 24th NBA game, players from the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings linked arms in solidarity with the message “no war in Ukraine” projected on the jumbotron followed by a moment of silence from the crowd.
- Tennis player Elina Svitolina, an Olympic Bronze Medalist in singles at the Tokyo Games, and Odessa native shared several emotional messages on her facebook page regarding the attacks on her home country. One notable message read “my heart is bleeding. Another sleepless and terrifying night for Ukrainian people. Please help us to stop the war.” She is currently in Monterrey getting ready for the next tournament. Svitolina said she’ll donate portions of her prize money to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
- Fellow Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska wrote on her instagram account how she spent two nights hiding in an underground parking lot before fleeing the country with her sister and leaving their parents behind. This heartbreaking decision was made at the request of Yastremska’s parents who wanted their daughters to be safe.
- Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev, who recently won the title in Dubai, wrote “no war please” on the camera following his semifinal victory.
- Russian hockey player Alexander Ovechkin also called for the war to end.
- Polish tennis player Iga Swiatek, who recently won a tournament in Qatar, dedicated her victory to the people of Ukraine. She also expressed concern over the war in Ukraine because the country is “so close to my homeland Poland”.
In addition to the acts of unity and words of encouragement, many sports federations have made moves to boycott Russian held events. Here are some of the sports events that have been canceled or relocated:
- The UEFA Champions League Cup Final will be moved from St. Petersburg to Paris.
- The Formula One Grand Prix located in Sochi has been canceled.
- Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic have all stated that they will refuse to play World Cup Qualifying matches against Russia.
- The International Tennis Federation announced that all events scheduled to take place in Russia have been canceled.
- European Curling Championships set to take place in Perm, Russia will be relocated.
- The International Ski Federation announced that all world cup events scheduled to take place in Russia will be canceled.
The list of events being canceled or relocated grows daily as the attacks on Ukraine continue.
The love and support from athletes in many sports leagues across the globe continues to pour-in as the crisis in Ukraine continues to get worse. It is proven, yet again, that there is no greater unifier than sports.
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