Will 'anti-war declaration' help Belarusians return to big-time sport?
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"I doubt that Belarusian and perhaps even Russian tennis players today have pro-regime or pro-war views," Aliaksandr Apeikin, executive director of the Belarusian Sports Solidarity Foundation, told Euroradio. He also does not think that there could be any provocation from the athletes, who signed the "declaration of neutrality" to participate in the Wimbledon tournament this summer.
According to the document, competitors must not make statements in support of the regimes in Russia and Belarus, and not receive funds from their governments or companies closely related to the governments.
Flags and other state symbols of these countries will also be banned from the tournament.
"But is there any guarantee that someone won't wear the 'tricolor' in their underpants, and that someone won't say publicly afterwards that they were forced to sign the declaration?" asked readers of the Euroradio Telegram channel. Why such a relaxed attitude in times of war?
"Negotiations with federations and negotiations with the International Olympic Committee on the introduction of an obligatory "anti-war declaration" for the participation of athletes in competitions is a natural process that we, as the Fund of Sports Solidarity, continue to work on.
"The 'anti-war declaration' has a strong symbolic meaning, because such an anti-war movement of athletes should gain momentum all over the world. Athletes should use their popularity, their media exposure, their wide audience to promote anti-war views. So I think it is a good step.
"Nevertheless, some Belarusians have already managed to criticize the news, saying: "What kind of neutrality can there be in this situation? You're either against the war or go to hell"
The organizers of the Wimbledon tournament decided to do it this way and it is their right. It is impossible to impose any attitude or position here, but it is good that the International Federation and the organizers of major tournaments understand that they must at least make sure that the participants do not have pro-war and pro-regime stance. They chose the way of "declaration of neutrality", which is, as I said, in fact an "anti-war declaration". So now we are unlikely to get a single standard in all tournaments and in all federations.
