Olympic champion in speed skating, now State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova assessed the likelihood of international competitions being canceled in Russia due to the aggravated political situation. She is quoted by RB Sport.
“The most interesting thing is that there was nothing like this when there was a similar situation in Crimea. There were sanctions, but no one touched the sport,” Zhurova said. In her opinion, this time politicians have decided that sanctions alone are not enough.
“There will be many competitions in Russia. How are they going to boycott everything en masse? Perhaps they will take everything from us,” the deputy said. She noted that it is worth remembering the legal nuances that cannot be canceled. Zhurova stressed that Russia is right, and not those countries that recommend not to come and not hold the tournament.
Earlier on February 22, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) announced that it had no plans to postpone the Champions League final from St. Petersburg after Russia recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR). The final of the tournament should take place on May 28.
On the same day, Polish Deputy Prime Minister Yaroslav Kaczynski, who oversees security issues, proposed a boycott of international sports competitions held in Russia. He considered that this would create problems for the country.
Source: Lenta
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