“Sport teaches us in its principle-the unity and peace,” Daniil Kvyat speaks out against the ban on Russian athletes and pleas for a peaceful resolution


“Sport teaches us in its principle-the unity and peace,” Daniil Kvyat speaks out against the ban on Russian athletes and pleas for a peaceful resolution

Daniil Kvyat

Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022, has had real and direct consequences over the world. Some of the consequences are now spilling into the world of sports. So far, many sporting bodies have condemned Russia’s actions and have taken actions against the athletes from the country. Recently, the motorsports body of Ukraine, FAU, in a letter to the FIA, has asked for a ban on the Russian and Belarusian drivers.

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In F1, many drivers have condemned Russia for its attack, and the sporting body itself has dropped the Russian GP from the 2022 race calendar. The Haas F1 team has removed its Russian sponsor UralKali from its branding including its 2022 car and is now rumored to be dropping its Russian driver Nikita Mazepin from the roster.

Now, the Russian driver Daniil Kvyat has taken his voice on Twitter, sharing his view of the situation and pleading for a resolution of the situation in Ukraine. The driver has shared his message in two images, half of it addressed to the global sporting authorities, such as the International Olympic Committee.

Daniil Kvyat’s message for peace

Daniil Kvyat
Daniil Kvyat

Daniil Kvyat shared the request to keep the politics out of the sports. The driver has taken a stance similar to that of Mazepin’s talking of not mixing sports and politics. His message has drawn flak asking for a stronger message like that of the Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev.

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The complete message of Daniil Kvyat reads: 

“I really hope for a peaceful solution to this situation in Ukraine, and that we can all live in peace. Hopefully all parties can find a solution by sitting together and through a respectful dialogue. It horrifies me to see two brotherhood nations in a conflict. I don’t want military actions and wars to influence the future of humanity, I want my daughter and all children to enjoy this beautiful world. 

I also would like to highlight and address all sports federations across the world including IOC that sport should remain outside politics and disallowing Russian athletes and teams from participating in world competitions is an unfair solution and goes against what sport teaches us in its principle- the unity and peace. Who else if not us sports people will help to glue nations together in the upcoming times.” 

Uncertain and difficult times like these do bring consequences to everyone belonging to the involved parties, be it countries or any other community. It does become difficult to separate politics from things, as everything is political.

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