Ukrainian sports officials have called for the exclusion of Russian athletes from the World Canoe Slalom Championship, which will take place in Australia, UNN reports with reference to the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, and the Canoe Federation of Ukraine have appealed to the leadership of the International Olympic Committee and the International Canoe Federation with a strong call: to prevent the participation of athletes from Russia in the World Canoe Slalom Championship, which will take place on September 29 – October 4, 2025, in Penrith (Australia).
The reason for the appeal was the decision of the International Canoe Federation to allow Russian athletes to compete — despite evidence of their participation in propaganda events or affiliation with Russian security forces.
Among the declared participants:
- Alsu Minazova, who participated in public events with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and Radiy Khabirov, head of the Republic of Bashkortostan (RF). Both are under international sanctions for supporting Russian aggression against Ukraine. She also publicly demonstrated support for dictator Putin.
- Pavel Kotov and Alexander Kharlamtsev, who are members of the CSKA sports club, directly associated with the Russian army and military aggression against Ukraine.
The Ukrainian agency emphasized that "this violates the IOC recommendations of March 28, 2023: neutral status cannot be granted to athletes who are associated with the army or publicly support aggression."
The Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, the NOC, and the Canoe Federation of Ukraine emphasize that aggressor countries use sports not for dialogue and unity, but as a tool of propaganda.