Sport violates human rights
Vladimir Putin’s cynical champagne gala
By Tobias Nordman
04/27/2022, 09:55 am
Vladimir Putin puts on an extremely disturbing show alongside selected Russian Olympic heroes in the Kremlin. The event’s message to the world: The President doesn’t care. And he even becomes cynical in his remarks. Incomprehensible.
Vladimir Putin is actually talking about human rights violations. While waging a brutal war of aggression. While thousands of innocent civilians in Ukraine die in agony. Through its bombs, bombs with internationally banned ammunition. By brutal massacres of his barbarian soldiers. Through hunger, which he has used as a deadly weapon in the besieged city of Mariupol.
“Our athletes have been discriminated against for deeply political reasons, based on their citizenship and nationality,” said the Russian president. Yes. Vladimir Putin is actually talking about human rights violations. Compared to the athletes in his country, who are banned from almost all competitions by many international associations. As a very desperate means of pressure against the brutal and uninhibited actions of the Russian President. And now, when honoring athletes, he refers to the relevant charter of the United Nations, whose urgent appeals for peace and prudence rush by somewhere.
He said: “The exclusion of the athletes from Russia and Belarus has not only violated the basic principles of the sport, but also openly and cynically violates the basic rights that the United Nations laid down in their 1948 Human Rights Charter.”
It doesn’t get more cynical. And if the lawsuit weren’t absurd enough in itself, the 69-year-old treats himself to a small glass of champagne alongside selected heroes of the Olympic Games in Beijing – they are awarded the Fatherland Order. You can’t give a bigger kick in the behind in a tense world. A more remarkable statement for his completely eccentric world view is not possible.
Love for Putin
His foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, ponders the danger of World War III. His Ministry of Defense has threatened Britain with bombs on London and Western politicians with attacks if they travel to the capital, Kyiv, over its pro-Ukrainian rhetoric. The list of wild and uncontrolled attacks can be continued almost indefinitely. And Putin paints a bizarre unfair world scenario that violates the basic principles of sport. He no longer understands the world he has turned against him.
Of course, it is legitimate to argue about whether the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes (because the country is on Putin’s side in the war) is an expedient and fair means. Whether the pressure from athletes can help to deprive Putin of popular support and persuade him to give up his warmongering. And there are also athletes who have positioned themselves very clearly against the “special operation” in Ukraine. Others do not think it is possible because of the threat of repression against themselves or their families. But there are also those who support Putin’s course.
Like cross-country skier Weronika Stepanova, one of the loudest complainants against the ban on athletes, who has now revealed her attitude. At the gala in the Kremlin, she said: “In my eyes, Russia has become strong, proud and successful again. Obviously, not everyone in the world likes that. But we are on the right track and we will definitely win, like we did at the Olympics won games.” She then thanked Putin for holding up the Russian flag and said, “We will not fail.”
Valiyeva celebrates her birthday
How much free or forced conviction there is in these sentences cannot be tested. But it’s no secret that athletes are repeatedly used for political purposes. So the skating prodigy Kamila Valiewa was presented again. That was broken in the tension between the right to start and the positive doping test in the individual freestyle – including ice-cold scolding from her trainer. The world was shocked and worried that the 16-year-old would become one of those “disposable children” who cannot achieve the sporting ideal at the maximum – and is no longer needed.
But Putin verbally hugged the timidly smiling girl and defended her against attacks from outside. Against the attacks of the unfair world, which almost collectively conspired against Russia. Against the attacks of the annoying doping hunters. Valiyeva said thank you: “It’s a great honor for me to receive a state award from the President of the Russian Federation on my 16th birthday. Thank you for loving sport and supporting athletes – that’s very important to us .”
And Putin followed suit. Took the attacks on the child prodigy as an opportunity to acquit her in his own world. “The level of perfection like Kamila’s cannot be achieved dishonestly, including through substances and manipulation,” he said. Instead, it is “very well known” that doping in figure skating does not bring any advantages.
Another absurdity of this bizarre gala is that Putin, of all people, babbles about illegal substances, when Russia was later banned as a nation from world championships and the Olympic Games for years because of state-orchestrated doping at the home games in Sochi. But it’s not the end of the story.
At a meeting with sports officials, given Russia’s ban from almost all international competitions, Putin called for organizing their own games and including foreign participants. He also criticized the performance of the Russian team at the Winter Games. The self-imposed goals were not achieved. What a parallel to the war in Ukraine. Sorry that’s cynical.