His main thesis is that sport unites people.
Ukrainian tennis player, second racket of the country in doubles Oleg Prikhodko spoke ambiguously about his attitude towards the representatives of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. According to the player, athletes from these countries should be allowed to participate in the Olympic Games and other competitions.
“I played a couple with a Russian, because he is my friend. And I played a couple with my friend – nationality does not matter to me. In my opinion, a person should be judged for his actions, and not for his nationality.
“Unfortunately, our federation uses the experience of dissidents in the Soviet era, when people were condemned for disagreeing with public views. I have many friends from Russia and Belarus, also my girlfriend is from Russia. They all help me in every possible way and always speak out against the war. Therefore, I do not think that I did some terrible act. ”
“Were there recommendations from the FTU not to play with the Russian? Yes, they did, but since I have my own views, I did as I saw fit, I did not blindly follow the policy of the party. In general, I believe that such a condemnation of athletes only fuels the conflict more. In this way, athletes begin to organize war on and off the court, turning into tools of war and forgetting the basic principle of sport.
“FTU invited me to the Davis Cup match against Hungary last year and even offered me money. I did not want to play, because their statements to me were unacceptable to me. It wasn’t about the money at all.”
“Regarding the removal of athletes from Belarus and Russia from the Olympics, I, as an athlete, do not understand this. I understand that for all the guys this is a dream to which they have been going all their lives. I believe that sport should bring people together. In ancient times, when the Olympics were held, all wars were stopped, but now it is part of the war.”
“I think that athletes should be given a chance to realize themselves. For most, this is the only Olympics in their lives. I just put myself in their place, and I would not want to be removed from the most important event in my life, to which I have been going all my life.
Last spring, Prikhodko competed in doubles with Russian tennis player Yan Bondarevsky. It should be noted that a number of Ukrainian tennis players are actively helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and Serhiy Stakhovsky and Oleksandr Dolgopolov joined the Ukrainian army.
Early on the morning of February 24, 2022, Russia launched rocket and air strikes on most Ukrainian cities and then launched a full-scale military invasion. Russia’s war against Ukraine continues for the 374th day.
Source: Sportarena
I am Ben Stock and I work in Athletistic as an author. My specialty is covering football news and other related topics. I have been writing for this website since the past 2 years, crafting compelling stories with the latest updates in the sports world. My articles have gained widespread appreciation amongst readers due to their accuracy and depth of research.
