KYIV: With next year’s Paris Olympics on the horizon and Russia’s invasion looking more like a prolonged conflict, Ukraine’s sports minister on Friday renewed a threat to boycott the games if Russia and Belarus are allowed to compete and said Kyiv would lobby other nations to join.
Such a move could lead to the biggest rift in the Olympic movement since the Cold War era.
No nation has declared it will boycott the 2024 Summer Games. But Ukraine won support from Poland, the Baltic nations and Denmark, who pushed back against an International Olympic Committee plan to allow delegations from Russia and ally Belarus to compete in Paris as “neutral athletes,” without flags or anthems.
“We cannot compromise on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes,” said Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait, who also heads its national Olympic committee, citing attacks on his country, the deaths of its athletes and the destruction of its sports facilities.
A meeting of his committee did not commit to a boycott but approved plans to try to persuade global sports officials in the next two months — including discussion of a possible boycott.
Huttsait added: “As a last option, but I note that this is my personal opinion, if we do not succeed, then we will have to boycott the Olympic Games.”
Paris will be the final Olympics under outgoing IOC head Thomas Bach, who is looking to his legacy after a tenure marked by disputes over Russia’s status — first over widespread doping scandals and now over the war in Ukraine.
Bach’s views were shaped when he was an Olympic gold medalist in fencing and his country, West Germany, took part in the US-led boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He has condemned that decision ever since.
Russia has cautiously welcomed the IOC’s decision to give it a path to the Olympics but demands it drop a condition that would leave out those athletes deemed to be “actively supporting the war in Ukraine.”
Russian Olympic Committee head Stanislav Pozdnyakov, who was a teammate of Ukraine’s Huttsait at the 1992 Olympics, called that aspect discriminatory. The IOC, which previously recommended excluding Russia and Belarus from world sports on safety grounds, now argues it cannot discriminate against them purely based on citizenship.
The leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania urged the IOC to ban Russia and said a boycott was a possibility.
“I think that our efforts should be on convincing our other friends and allies that the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes is just wrong,” Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said. “So boycotting is the next step. I think people will understand why this is necessary.”
The IOC said in a statement that “this threat of a boycott only leads to further escalation of the situation, not only in sport, but also in the wider context. It is regretful that politicians are misusing athletes and sport as tools to achieve their political objectives.”
It added bluntly: “Why punish athletes from your country for the Russian government starting the war?”
Poland’s sports minister Kamil Bortniczuk said as many as 40 countries could jointly condemn Russian and Belarusian participation at Paris in a statement next week but that it could stop short of a boycott threat. He told state news agency PAP that the IOC was being “naive” and should reflect on its position.
Denmark wants a ban on Russian athletes “from all international sports as long as their attacks on Ukraine continue,” said Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt.
“We must not waver in relation to Russia. The government’s line is clear. Russia must be banned,” he said. “This also applies to Russian athletes who participate under a neutral flag. It is completely incomprehensible that there are apparently doubts about the line in the IOC.”
Asked by The Associated Press about the boycott threats and the IOC plan, Paris 2024 organizing committee head Tony Estanguet would not comment “about political decisions.”
“My job is to make sure that all athletes who want to participate will be offered the best conditions in terms of security, to offer them the chance to live their dream,” he said in Marseille.
Ukraine boycotted some sporting events last year rather than compete against Russians.
Huttsait said a boycott would be very tough, saying it was “very important for us that our flag is at the Olympic Games; it is very important for us that our athletes are on the podium. So that we show that our Ukraine was, is, and will be.”
Marta Fedina, 21, an Olympic bronze medalist in artistic swimming, said in Kyiv she was “ready for a boycott.”
“How will I explain to our defenders if I am even present on the same sports ground with these people,” she said, referring to Russian athletes. She noted her swimming pool in Kharkiv, where she was living when Moscow invaded, was ruined by the war.
Speakers at the Ukrainian Olympic Committee’s assembly meeting raised concerns about Moscow using Paris for propaganda and noted the close ties between some athletes and the Russian military.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday if athletes from the two countries compete, “it should be absolutely clear that they are not representing the Russian or Belarusian states.” Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics.
If the IOC’s proposal takes effect, Paris would be the fourth straight Olympics where Russian athletes have competed without the national flag or anthem. The Russian teams at the Winter Olympics in 2018 and 2022 and the Summer Olympics in 2021 were all caught up in the fallout from a series of doping cases.
The last time multiple countries boycotted an Olympics was in 1988, when North Korea and others refused to attend the Summer Games in South Korea. The North Korean team was a no-show at the Tokyo Games in 2021, citing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The IOC barred it from the following Winter Games in Beijing as a result, saying teams had a duty to attend every Olympics.
Although the IOC set the tone of the debate by publishing advice on finding a way to help Russia and Belarus compete, decisions must be made for the governing bodies of individual sports that organize events on the 32-sport Paris program.
Those organizations, many based in the IOC’s home of Lausanne, Switzerland, run their own qualifying and Olympic competitions and decide on eligibility criteria for athletes and teams.
The International Cycling Union signed on to the IOC’s plan ahead of its Olympic qualifying events to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as “neutrals.”
Track and field’s World Athletics and soccer’s FIFA were among most sports that excluded Russian athletes and teams within days of the start of the war. Tennis and cycling let many Russians and Belarusians continue competing as neutrals. Other governing bodies are more closely aligned with the IOC or traditionally have strong commercial and political ties to Russia.
One key meeting could be March 3 in Lausanne of the umbrella group of Summer Games sports, known as ASOIF. It is chaired by Francesco Ricci Bitti, a former IOC member when he led the International Tennis Federation, and includes World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
ASOIF declined comment Friday, though noted this week “the importance of respecting the specificity of each federation and their particular qualification process” for Paris.
Ukraine pushes to exclude Russia from 2024 Paris Olympics
https://arab.news/nb3be
Ukraine pushes to exclude Russia from 2024 Paris Olympics
- No nation has declared it will boycott the 2024 Summer Games
- “We cannot compromise on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes,” said Ukrainian Sports Minister Vadym Huttsait
Baniyas emerge winners at Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- First round of contest had Sharjah Self-Defense finish second and Al-Ain third
ABU DHABI: The first round of the second Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship concluded on Sunday at Mubadala Arena with Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club taking first place, Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club in second, and Al-Ain Jiu-Jitsu Club third.
The last day of the competition had competitors between the ages of 4 and 8, and under-12, take to the mats. Athletes in the adult and youth categories participated over the previous days.
Fahad Ali Al-Shamsi, secretary general of the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation, said he was delighted with the organization of the event, and the participation of a high number of clubs and academies.
“The Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is an exemplary model for sports competitions, made possible by the vision and limitless support of the wise leadership,” he said.
“The championship successfully hosted 2,000 male and female athletes from various clubs and academies, along with their families and sports fans, making it a unique platform that merges competitive excellence with community engagement.”
Aayan Afzal Khan’s record in vain as Abu Dhabi Knight Riders beat Gulf Giants
- Michael Pepper’s half-century led the Knight Riders to a 37-run victory to leave his team 3rd in DP World ILT20 table
- Desert Vipers are top with MI Emirates 2nd after 4 matches for each of the 6 teams
DUBAI: The Abu Dhabi Knight Riders clinched their second victory of the DP World ILT20 Season 3 on Sunday evening, defeating the Gulf Giants by 37 runs at a packed Dubai International Stadium.
Despite Aayan Afzal Khan’s four-wicket haul for just 16 runs — a new record for the best figures by a UAE player in DP World ILT20 history — the Knight Riders posted 176/9, buoyed by Michael Pepper’s half-century. Ibrar Ahmad, Jason Holder and Ali Khan each bagged two wickets to keep the Giants at bay.
It was a tough outing for the Giants’ batters as they lost both openers in the powerplay. Adam Lyth was scalped by David Willey in the first over, while skipper James Vince, who looked in good form, miscued off Ibrar Ahmad for 14 runs in the fourth over.
At 40/2 by the end of the powerplay, the Giants were falling well behind. The innings unraveled further as Jordan Cox departed for 10 runs and Ibrahim Zadran was bowled by Sunil Narine after he had worked hard for 24 runs in 22 balls.
At the 10 over mark, the Giants were wobbling at 62/4. The onus was on Gerhard Erasmus and Shimron Hetmyer to steer another run chase, but it was not to be. Hetmyer had made 20 runs in 15 balls before he holed out to Narine off super sub Ali Khan. Holder then removed Erasmus after the Namibian had accumulated 24 runs in 23 balls to leave the score at 96/6 in 14.1 overs
The target proved too high as Holder claimed his second wicket through Mark Adair for 19 runs as the Giants finished proceedings at 139/8.
In the first innings, an exciting powerplay for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders treated the fans to runs and wickets, finishing the phase at 60/2. Kyle Mayers and Andries Gous took the initiative, racing to 19 and 17 runs respectively, in 12 balls each. The assault was halted when Tymal Mills castled Kyle Mayers in the fourth over and Gous was caught behind off Wahidullah Zadran in the fifth over.
Coming at number four, Pepper took flight early in the innings, creaming Adair for three consecutive boundaries. Pepper went on to log a 31-ball 50 including six fours and a six. Along with the support of Joe Clarke, the pair built a 50-run partnership in 33 balls.
It looked like the Knight Riders were on track for a huge total until Aayan Afzal Khan turned the tide, returning enviable figures of 4 for 16 — the best figures for a UAE player in the DP World ILT20. (The previous record holder was Zuhaib Zuhair with 4 for 22 for Gulf Giants against Sharjah Warriors in 2024).
Aayan opened his account when he cleaned up Clarke for 24 runs in the 11th over. He followed it up with the wickets of Alishan Sharafu, Andrew Russell and Narine, of whom only Russell made it to double figures with 12 runs. At the end of Aayan’s spell, the Knight Riders were at 131/6 in 15 overs.
In the death overs, Pepper was caught behind off Adair for 57 runs, while Laurie Evans, Holder and Willey made small contributions. Blessing Muzarabani snatched two wickets in Evans and Holder as the Knight Riders finished proceedings at 176/9.
Named Player of the Match, Pepper said: “When I went in, when the ball was hard, it came on nicely. Not too much bounce in the wicket. Through the innings, it got slower and slower and started turning a little bit more. There is a lot of instinct that goes in, waiting for your areas and then going from there. We have a long batting order; everyone can hit it out of the ground, but it still must be the batters that score runs.”
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders captain Narine said: “We were always thinking two steps ahead and there were more hands on deck. We could have gone closer to 200 after our start. Losing wickets in clusters denied us and that is something we can work on moving ahead. Our batting depth, it is a good problem. You have players batting down the order who might be playing higher otherwise. The guys are willing, and it is about them trying to make the best of whatever position they get.”
Brief Scores
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders bt Gulf Giants by 37 runs
- Abu Dhabi Knight Riders 176/9 in 20 overs (Michael Pepper 57, Joe Clarke 24, Kyle Mayers 19, Aayan Afzal Khan 4 for 16, Blessing Muzarabani 2 for 28)
- Gulf Giants 139/8 in 20 overs (Gerhard Erasmus 24, Shimron Hetmyer 20, Mark Adair 19, Ali Khan 2 for 23, Jason Holder 2 for 25, Ibrar Ahmad 2 for 27)
Australian broadcaster apologizes to Djokovic, Serbian fans
- 24-time Grand Slam champion declined to do the customary on-court interview after his fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka on Sunday
MELBOURNE: Australian broadcaster Tony Jones has apologized to Novak Djokovic and fans of the Serbian for comments he made on TV on Friday night that the 10-times Australian Open champion considered “insulting and offensive.”
Djokovic declined to do the customary on-court interview after his fourth-round victory over Jiri Lehecka on Sunday pending a public apology from Jones and Australian broadcast rights holders Channel Nine.
Jones had mocked Djokovic and the Serbian fans who had gathered outside Channel Nine’s broadcast booth at Melbourne Park on Friday, saying the 24-times Grand Slam champion was “over-rated” and a “has been.”
In an interview on the channel on Monday, Jones said he thought the comments had been “banter” and he had immediately made a private apology to the “Djokovic camp” once he realized they had not been taken in humor.
“I can stand by that apology to Novak,” he said. “I should also say the disrespect was extended, in many ways, to the Serbian fans.
“We have built up a nice rapport with the Serbian fans ... and there was banter, and I thought what I was doing was an extension of that banter. Quite clearly that has not been interpreted that way.
“I feel as though I’ve let down the Serbian fans.”
Jones said the one comment he particularly regretted was “kick him out,” which he accepted could only be construed as a reference to Djokovic’s deportation from Australia in a row over his COVID vaccination status in early 2022.
“That has angered Novak which I completely understand now,” Jones said.
“It has been an unfortunate situation, it has been one of personal angst for Novak, it’s quite clearly personal angst for me as well.”
Tennis Australia said Djokovic, who takes on world number three Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals on Tuesday, wanted to move on from the issue.
“Novak acknowledges the apology has been given in public as requested, and is now moving on and focusing on his next match,” it added in a statement.
Nuggets beat Magic 113-100 as Jokic records triple-double
- The Denver Nuggets rolled to a 113-100 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night
ORLANDO, Florida: Nikola Jokic had 20 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks without playing the fourth quarter and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 113-100 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night.
Christian Braun added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Nuggets, who won their six straight road game. Jamal Murray scored 19 points and Michael Porter Jr. had 15 points and six rebounds.
Wendell Carter Jr. led Orlando with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Anthony Black came off the bench with 14 points and five assists.
HEAT 128, SPURS 107
MIAMI: Rookie Kel’el Ware scored 25 points to match his season high, Duncan Robinson added 21 on 5-of-7 3-shooting and Miami beat San Antonio.
Jimmy Butler had eight points and seven assists in his second game since returning from a seven-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Terry Rozier had 20 points, Tyler Herro scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and Nikol Jovic added 14 to help the Heat snap a three-game losing streak.
Miami closed the first half with an 11-0 run to take a five-point lead at 46-41, then opened the second with a 25-8 run. Jovic’s 3-pointer with 5:45 remaining in the third period ended the spurt and put the Heat ahead 71-52.
Devin Vassell scored 23 points and Victor Wembanyama added 21 for the Spurs. They have lost three straight.
THUNDER 127, NETS 101
OKLAHOMA CITY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 points and 10 assists in three quarters, and Oklahoma City beat Brooklyn.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer, sat out Friday’s loss at Dallas with a sprained right wrist. He looked fine against the Nets — he made 8 of 14 field goals and all 10 of his free throw attempts. He also had four steals.
Isaiah Joe scored 24 points and made eight 3-pointers for the Thunder.
The Thunder have the best record in the Western Conference, and the victory clinched Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault’s spot as an All-Star head coach. He will coach one of the four All-Star teams and an assistant coach from his staff will be the head coach for another team.
Cam Johnson and Tyrese Johnson each scored 15 points for the Nets, who have lost eight of nine.
BUCKS 123, 76ERS 109
MILWAUKEE: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 15 rebounds to help Milwaukee beat short-handed Philadelphia.
Damian Lillard added 25 points for Milwaukee, which completed a 4-0 homestand. Khris Middleton had 13 points and eight assists in 25 minutes off the bench. Brook Lopez added 12 points, and Taurean Prince had 11.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with with 37 points and seven assists. Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points, Ricky Council IV had 13 and Eric Gordon 10. Playing for the second consecutive night, Philadelphia has lost six straightand nine of 11.
The 76ers (15-26) were once again missing several key players — Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kyle Lowry and Guerschon Yabusele among them — due to injuries, but hung with the Bucks until fading late. Milwaukee moved to a season-high seven games above .500 at 24-17.
CLIPPERS 116, LAKERS 102
INGLEWOOD, California: Norman Powell scored 22 points, James Harden added 21 points and 12 assists and the Los Angeles Clippers defeated LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the Lakers’ first visit to the new Intuit Dome.
Kawhi Leonard had 19 points and Ivica Zubac had 21 points and 19 rebounds for the Clippers in the first meeting of the season between the former hallway rivals at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
James had 25 points and 11 assists and Rui Hachimura added 19 points. Anthony Davis had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his return after missing a game with plantar fasciitis. The Lakers two-game winning streak ended.
Leonard tied his season high playing 24 minutes but none in the fourth as he continued under a minutes restriction in his fifth game of the season. He scored eight in a row to surpass 14,000 career points in the third, when the Clippers built their biggest lead of 26 points.
TRAIL BLAZERS 113, BULLS 102
PORTLAND, Oregon: Scoot Henderson had 25 points and Portland snapped five-game losing streak with a victory over Chicago.
Zach LaVine had 27 points for the Bulls. They have lost five straight.
Portland stretched its lead to 97-82 on Shaedon Sharpe’s 3-pointer with 7:36 left. Patrick Williams’ dunk got the Bulls within single digits at 110-102 with 1:26 left. Deni Avdija answered with a layup for Portland to end the threat.
Sharpe came off the bench for the Blazers after coach Chauncey Billups told him his defense needed to improve to return to a starting role. Sharpe finished with 23 points.
The Bulls led by as 15 points in the first half. Henderson made back-to-back 3-pointers that got the Blazers to 43-42.
Portland tied it at 45 on Jerami Grant’s 3 and it was even at 53 going into the break.
KINGS 123, WIZARDS 100
SACRAMENTO, California: Domantas Sabonis had 29 points and 18 rebounds, and Sacramento beat Washington.
DeMar DeRozan added 24 points, Malik Monk had 23 and Keon Ellis scored 18 on 6-for-8 shooting on 3-pointers. De’Aaron Fox had 12 points and a season-high 13 assists to help Sacramento win for the ninth time in 10 games.
Jonas Valanciunas had 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Wizards, who have lost 10 straight.
After allowing Washington to score the first six points, Sacramento never trailed again and built a double-digit lead in the second quarter. The Kings were up by 24 points in the second half.
Sacramento went up by 14 at halftime. Sabonis had 18 points and 11 rebounds at the break, including a stretch of eight straight points on back-to-back 3s and a steal that led to a dunk, helping the Kings take a lead after the game was tied 15-15 in the first quarter.
Elina Svitolina rallies to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time
- The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time
MELBOURNE: Elina Svitolina was 4-1 down before she went on a roll and took 11 of the next 12 games in a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Veronika Kudermetova on Monday to reach the Australian Open quarterfinals for the third time.
The 30-year-old Ukrainian is into the last eight at a Grand Slam for the 12th time. It’s her first time back in the quarterfinals in Australia since 2019.
“Feels like a lifetime ago,” Svitolina said. Since her last run this far at Melbourne Park, she married French player Gael Monfils in 2021 and the pair had a daughter, Skai, in 2022. “Many things happened and I’m really pleased with the performance throughout the tournament. Really enjoying this win today.”
After dropping two early service games, Svitolina said she her only goal “was just trying to fight.”
“It’s the only thing I can do when things are not going your way, put your head down and get back to work,” she said. “Really happy I could come (back) into the match and then win in straight sets.”
Svitolina, the No. 28 seed, wore a red dress, red shoes and a red cap for the match. People in the crowd waved the yellow and blue Ukraine flag.
Kudermetova took a medical timeout for on-court treatment on her abdomen after falling behind 5-4 the first set.
She left the court for treatment after losing the first set in 50 minutes. Svitolina held to open the second set and then had a breakpoint but Kudermetova saved and held for 1-1, following up a forehand winner down the line with a loud roar.
That was the end of her celebrating.
It wasn’t just power and pace from Svitolina that was the difference between the pair. After bringing Kudermetova to the net with a drop shot and then lobbing over her to start the next game, Svitolina punched the air.
There was no handshake at the net with Kudermeotva, a 27-year-old from Russia, but no animosity, either.
Svitolina will be playing in the quarterfinals against either 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina or No. 19 Madison Keys.
Svitolina’s husband, Monfils, was playing later Monday against No. 21 seed Ben Shelton on Margaret Court Arena. The 38-year-old Frenchman reached the fourth round with an upset over fourth-seeded Taylor Fritz, the US Open runner-up last year.
Svitolina, who beat fourth-seeded Jasmine Paolini in the third round, said she hoped to be courtside for Monfils’ match.
“Playing the way that he plays right now, it’s special,” she said.
Other quarterfinalists will be decided when defending champion Jannik Sinner and No. 13 seed Holger Rune meet in an afternoon match and five-time major winner Iga Swiatek takes on Eva Lys, the lucky loser from qualifying, in a night match.
