“When someone says that sport is out of politics, it’s really stupid,” Marta Kostyuk lashes out at fellow players for condemning the ban on Russian players at Wimbledon
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Marta Kostyuk
The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war has left a huge dent on world peace. All sector have been impacted by it including sports. While many sports have taken taken solid steps to take a stand against Russian atrocities, some have chosen to stay mum. In tennis, Wimbledon became the first and only tournament to ban Russian players from the ongoing Championships.
This decision too has received a mix response. Many believe that this move was uncalled for as it is very unfair. The Russian players are getting punished for a crime they didn’t even commit. Many contemporary players have come forward to condemn this decision including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. But the Ukrainian players believe that Wimbledon is doing the right thing.
Marta Kostyuk, after winning her first round match against Katie Swan at Wimbledon in three sets 4-6,6-4,6-4, spoke about players who say sport and politics shouldn’t be involved.
Kostyuk affirms that sports has always been political. She said that the Ukrainians aren’t talking about any propaganda and are neither promoting any individuals for their political gains.
“I think that sport has always been political. You see, we are not talking about some kind of propaganda on individuals in the policy that we are trying to promote. For example, it will be very political if someone promotes a specific person, a politician or a specific policy, some party, and so on. Yes, it is political and has nothing to do with sports,” she said.
‘There is no political direction here because people are dying’: Marta Kostyuk
He added that people are dying in Ukraine which is very sad. The reason behind it is out of scope and the only reason she speaks publicly about it is so that the sufferings of commoners in Ukraine are broadcasted to everyone in the world.
“But there is no political direction here. Because people are dying. And everything that happens is extremely sad. Why all this is happening, I do not understand. I don’t know how else to explain it. I have my fans, there are people for whom I can be a kind of example, even if it is a small circle of people. But I broadcast something to the world and the world listens to it. What people think is very important,” she said.
She continued that even if some say it is political, so what’s an issue? Sports has always been political according to her. She even gave examples of how sporting achievements are used for political benefits in China and Russia. He concluded by saying that when someone says sport is out of politics, she finds it very stupid.
“Even if we say, okay, this is a political decision, but sport has always been a part of it and always will be. In countries like Russia, when they try to show that they have a strong country, they do it through athletes, they say, look how good they are, how many medals they have collected at the Olympics, and so on. So, in countries like Russia or China, sports are extremely politicized. Honestly, when someone says that sport is out of politics, it’s really stupid (smiles),” she concluded.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2595 Articles Published)