The head of Belarusian Sport Solidarity Foundation (BSSF) Aliaksandra Hierasimenia, the foundation’s executive director Aliaksandr Apeikin, as well as basketball player Katsiaryna Snytsina, former senior coach of the Vityaz handball club Kanstantsin Yakauleu, track athlete Andrei Krauchanka, gymnast Siamion Bukin joined the call. Ms. Tsikhanouskaya opened the call by thanking Hierasimenia for appealing to Belarusians, Ukrainians, and Russians in view of military threats.
During the call, the participants discussed how to raise the issue of repression in Belarusian sports in the lead-up to the Olympics and call on foreign athletes to publicly support honest Belarusian athletes.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya inquired about the current activities of the BSSF. Aliaksandr Apeikin told about the continuous and complicated campaign against the Football Federation of Belarus (BFF). For over a year, UEFA has been ignoring the repressions in Belarusian football, where the BFF appoints the “right” referees to ensure the “correct” result in matches of ideologically unreliable teams and covers up for the players caught in rigging games. In addition, the BFF has compiled a list of “unreliable” football players whose teams are advised not to renew their contracts. In reply, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya expressed her support for the Foundation's campaign and said she would urge members of the European Parliament to send inquiries to the UEFA Executive Committee regarding repressions in Belarusian football.
Athletes emphasized the importance of supporting repressed or retired Belarusian athletes. The EU can help by inviting the athletes to various master classes, lectures, meetings to provide athletes with an opportunity to share their experience and talk about what is happening in Belarus.
Representatives of the BSSF also raised the issue of the sports “quarantine”. Hundreds of athletes cannot compete under the Belarusian flag because of their civic position, as the regime does not allow them to compete. Belarusians can compete under a neutral Olympic flag without representing the regime. However, for this, they need to observe a three-year “quarantine”, which is a long time that can cost an athlete’s career.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) can shorten the “quarantine” for repressed athletes, but the leadership has to be resolute. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya pledged to raise this issue during international meetings and media appearances to urge the IOC to take action.
The call also covered the “referendum” in Belarus and the common strategy of the democratic forces. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the athletes for actively urging Belarusians to follow the strategy: come to the polling stations, cross out both proposed options in the ballot and use the Voice platform to record their actions expressing their dissent to the regime, as well as organize exit polls in the diaspora.
“During my visits, I always raise the issue of sports, education, and healthcare. In each country, we discuss possible assistance. Last year, Germany allocated significant support to athletes. Last fall, during the meeting with the US Deputy Secretary of State, we also discussed the issue of sports. I convince you that we always strive to support our athletes”, Tsikhanouskaya added.
