Welcomed by several elected officials and French sports officials, two members of the Ukrainian Ministry of Youth and Sports and an official of the Olympic Committee of the country invaded by Russia were able to discover the infrastructures of the Center for Resources, Expertise and Sports Performance ( Creps) Ile-de-France.
Guided by the director of the center, Michel Godard, the delegation notably visited the rooms intended for the athletes, a gymnasium, several training rooms, a field hockey field and a beach volleyball court. Some of the equipment visited is still under construction but everything will be ready by “end of March 2024”, assured management.
Important to support athletes
“Seeing all this equipment is sure to move us,” said Ukrainian Deputy Sports Minister Ludmila Panchenko, who recalled that her country’s sports infrastructure had been destroyed in the Russian offensive in Ukraine. launched on February 24, 2022. This visit does not constitute a “final confirmation” of Ukraine’s participation in the Olympics, the delegation stressed.
This will take place “after the decision of the International Olympic Committee concerning the participation in the Games of the country which attacked us”, recalled Nataliia Radchuk, the head of the department of international relations within the Ukrainian Ministry of Sports at AFP, in reference to Russia.
Regarding the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the Olympic Games, the Ukrainian Deputy Minister stressed that “the important thing is to support [les sportifs ukrainiens] as soon as there is disrespect on the side of the Russian teams” and recall the requirement that they participate “under a neutral banner”.
“A strong gesture”
On the French side, we maintain “the hope that [les Ukrainiens] will choose Creps Île-de-France for the preparation of the Games”, said Michel Godard. It would be “a strong gesture”, also declared the LR mayor of Châtenay-Malabry, Carl Segaud.
The Creps Île-de-France could accommodate athletes practicing taekwondo, fencing or even wrestling, said Nataliia Radchuk. The IOC has not yet decided on a possible Russian or Belarusian participation in the Paris Olympics. For the moment, he recommended to the international federations to reintegrate into their competitions the Russian and Belarusian sportsmen under neutral banner, as long as they did not actively support the war in Ukraine.