Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insists Wimbledon ‘should not hand Putin wins’
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba insists Wimbledon should “give no victories to Putin” after Russian and Belarusian athletes were allowed to compete in this year’s event, asking “what has changed?” since they were banned in 2022
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has accused Wimbledon of “handing Putin victories” by allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete this year.
The All England Club announced last month that they would lift their ban on participants from the countries responsible for last year’s invasion of Ukraine after banning them from competing in 2022.
The ban affected the event’s credibility as ranking points were stripped from the championships.
The reversal came after the heavy threat of further fines and sanctions from the two tours.
Kuleba lacked the courage to reverse the ban, as he did wrote in the Express: Last year, Wimbledon made the difficult but noble decision to exclude competitors from Russia and Belarus.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accuses Wimbledon of ‘lack of courage’
It comes after the All England Club lifted the ban imposed on players from Russia and Belarus following the invasion of Ukraine
Supporters at Wimbledon expressed their support for the Ukrainian players last year
“Organizers deserve credit for doing the right thing. What has changed since then? We must not hand out victories to Putin.
“If the organizers of Wimbledon lack courage, official London can stand and close the door.”
Russian players participating in other tennis tournaments have already sparked controversy, with Anastasia Potapova coming under fire from world number one Iga Swiatek for wearing a Spartak Moscow shirt on court in California.
Specifically for Wimbledon, Sportsmail’s Mike Dickson expressed concern over Ukrainian players refusing to shake hands with Russians, a usually friendly crowd turning hostile and the Princess of Wales being put in an unfortunate position for the trophy presentation.
All England Club president Ian Hewitt said the decision to lift the ban was made with reluctance and under heavy pressure from the rest of tennis.
“We continue to fully condemn the illegal invasion of Russia and our sincere support remains with the people of Ukraine,” he stressed.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or with little regard for those who will be affected.
“We believe that, taking all factors into consideration, this is the most appropriate arrangement for The Championships for this year.
Anastasia Potapova received a warning from the WTA for this photo she shared on Instagram showing the Russian tennis star in a Spartak Moscow shirt
Aryna Sabalenka (left) and Daniil Medvedev (right) are among those likely to return to the tournament
“We are grateful for the Government’s support as we and our fellow tennis stakeholders have worked through this complex matter and agreed on terms that we believe are workable.
“If circumstances change materially between now and the start of The Championships, we will consider and respond accordingly.”
Another All England Club statement read: ‘Our current intention is to accept entries from Russian and Belarusian players, provided they compete as ‘neutral’ athletes and meet the applicable eligibility criteria.
These will prohibit expressions of support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine in various forms and prohibit entry for players receiving funding from the Russian and/or Belarusian states (including sponsorship of companies operated or controlled by the states) in in connection with their participation in The Championships. .’