Ukraine's Minister of Youth and Sports, Matviy Bidny, along with the president of the National Committee of Sports for the Disabled of Ukraine, Valerii Sushkevych, and the president of the Ukrainian Chess Federation, Oleksandr Kamyshin, sent a letter to the president of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons.
They request to maintain restrictions on Russian and Belarusian chess players, including athletes with disabilities.
During the General Assembly of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) on September 21-22, 2024, it was decided to address the International Paralympic Committee regarding the idea of allowing representatives from the terrorist state of the Russian Federation and its ally, the Republic of Belarus, to participate in international competitions.
Ukrainian sports organizations emphasize that the war unleashed by Russia and supported by Belarus against Ukraine is the bloodiest in Europe since World War II. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, Russians have killed over 500 Ukrainian athletes and coaches, including 21 chess players, with two more reported missing.
"The Russian and Belarusian sports community serves as a tool of state policy for these countries," the letter states. Ukrainian officials call for maintaining sanctions pressure on sports organizations and athletes from these countries as long as the war continues.
They stress that Russian troops, supported by Belarus, continue their aggression in Ukraine. Therefore, the existing restrictions should be preserved or even strengthened.
The Ukrainian sports community relies on the solidarity and responsibility of the International Paralympic Committee.
