Sports

Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan was qualified for the Olympic Games by the decision of the International Olympic Committee. Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, President of the National Olympic Committee Vadym Hutsait posted this on Facebook. He also attached a letter from the IOC. It says that the International Olympic Committee expresses support for Olga Kharlan and allocates her an additional quota place for the Olympics as she did not have the opportunity to win it at the World Championships. Hutsait also noted that the Ministry was working to cancel Kharlan's black card. As reported, Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan…

Ukrainian tennis star Elina Svitolina has pledged to donate all of her prize money from her victory at the Internationaux de Strasbourg tournament in France. In the final match, Svitolina defeated Russia's Anna Blinkova 6-2, 6-3 to claim her 17th WTA title, according to Ukrinform. "I would like to share this energy with Ukraine, with my homeland. I will be donating all my prize money from this tournament. It's going to go to the kids of Ukraine, [which is] much needed in this tough moment," Svitolina said. "I will be donating all my prize money from this tournament. Is going…

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has criticized the decision by the 2023 Wimbledon organizers to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete in the tennis tournament. In a column for the UK's Daily Express, the minister called on the British authorities to refuse visas to Russian and Belarusian tennis players, according to Ukrinform. "Tennis is said to be a gentleman's game. Not a game for murderers, rapists or looters. Last year Wimbledon took the difficult but noble decision to bar competitors from Russia and Belarus. Having athletes from there would have been an awful thing in the midst of a year…

As the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee is expected to meet in the next few days, Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have issued a joint statement on banning Russian and Belarusian athletes from international sports competitions. The text of the statement has been published on the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, according to Ukrinform. "As we are approaching the next meeting of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee on March 28-30, 2023, we wish to reiterate Ukraine's position on the IOC recent calls to explore the pathways for participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes…

On day two of Rome European Open 2023, the Ukrainian judoka, Marat Kryzhanskyi, won a gold medal, having placed first in the -90kg category, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. The Ukrainian judoka, coming from the Vinnytsia region, reached the final round and won against the French competitor, Francis Damier. Meanwhile, Diana Semchenko placed seventh in the +70kg category. In general, judokas from 34 countries participated in Rome European Open 2023. Photo: ukrainejudo.com

A summit of 35 countries has been held in the United Kingdom over the issue of Russia's possible participation in the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. According to Ukrinform, a group of 35 countries, including the United States, Germany and Australia, agreed to demand the suspension of Russian and Belarusian athletes from participation in the 2024 Olympics, Lithuanian Sports Minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene said. "We invite you not to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in any international competitions, including the Olympic Games, while the war in Ukraine continues. Our position as sports politicians must be strong and united. We…

Vitaliy Tkachuk, head of the Ukrinform sports department, has written an open letter to the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. The journalist invited Bach to discuss the access for Russian and Belarusian athletes to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after the publication of the IOC statement. Tkachuk also noted that the debate could be held in Bakhmut, where the IOC president was invited by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On January 25, the IOC released a statement in which it admitted the participation of Russians and Belarusians in the Paris Olympics as "neutral athletes." President Zelensky and…

Russian propaganda forged the Qatar Football Association's appeal to Ukraine Russian Telegram channels are spreading the fabricated appeal of the Qatar Football Association to Ukraine, driven by Zelensky's video address blocked by FIFA ahead of the World Cup finals. The publication, which was allegedly released on the official Twitter account of the Qatar Football Association, reads: if Ukraine is offended by the ban, it may withdraw from FIFA, and politics should be kept out of sports. The screenshot in the publication is fake, although a reverse Google search of the image does lead to the Qatar Football Association's official Twitter…

Ukraine is counting on UEFA's assistance in ensuring the release of Ukrainian athletes captured by Russian invasion forces. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote of his talks with UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin on Twitter, Ukrinform reports. "Had a phone conversation with @UEFA President #Čeferin. Thanked for the solidarity with Ukraine, for the principled position and for the support in the @upl_official restart. We also count on UEFA's assistance in the liberation of captured Ukrainian athletes," Zelensky tweeted. According to President Zelenskyi, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has captured more Ukrainian military servicemen than Ukraine has Russian ones.

Ukraine have earned their second victory in the group stage of the UEFA Nations League. The Blue and Yellows defeated Armenia 3-0 at the Stadion Miejski LKS in Lodz, Poland, on Saturday, June 11, Ukrinform reports. Ruslan Malinovskyi scored an opener in the 61st minute, Oleksandr Karavaiev made it 2-0 in the 77th minute, and Vitaliy Mykolenko scored one more in the 84th minute. In another match of Group 1 of League B, Ireland will face Scotland in Dublin. Standings: Ukraine - 6 points (after 2 games), Scotland - 3 (1), Armenia - 3 (3), Ireland - 0 (2). Photo:…