During her visit to Poland, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya visited Warsaw to kick off the Third Aliaksandr Ivulin Cup. The football tournament, now in its third year, brings together Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Poles in support of political prisoners in Belarus.
The competition was founded in 2022 as a show of solidarity with sports journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin, who was politically imprisoned back then. This year, it gathered 24 teams with around 500 participants and guests in total. The Polish Ministry of Sport co-organized the tournament, contributing to its significance. All funds raised during the event will be used to support the people repressed by the regime.
📌 Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya delivered an address during the tournament’s opening, highlighting how such events unite Belarusians: “I’m happy to see so many teams and fans here. Happy to see our national symbols and hear Belarusian chants. Here, in free Poland, this isn’t forbidden – unlike in Belarus, where the authorities fear every manifestation of Belarusian identity”.
📌 Ms. Tsikhanouskaya also called for supporting Belarusian athletes affected by repression for speaking out about their political views: “We are proud of the conscientious athletes who didn’t stand aside in 2020: Aliaksandr Khatskevich, Aleh Dulub, Yauhen Viarouka, Siarhei Aleinikau, Illia Shkuryn, Andrei Chepa, and many others. Many of you have suffered for standing up for your views. But you didn’t betray your principles, and thank you for that”.
