March 29, 2023. OTTAWA, ON. Alexandra Chyczij, National President of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) issued the following statement in response to the recommendation by the International Olympic Committee that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to participate in international sports competitions:
It is disappointing that the International Olympic Committee has recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed to return to international sports competitions. Russia is committing genocide against Ukraine. Russia bombs, murders, rapes and maims Ukrainian civilians. Russia forcibly abducts Ukrainian children.
In recommending that these athletes – in whose name these heinous crimes are being committed – be allowed to participate in international competitions, the IOC demonstrates a callous indifference to the thousands upon thousands of innocent victims of Russia’s crimes. The IOC has betrayed the values of comity and human rights that the Olympic movement purports to represent. March 28, 2023 will long be remembered as a day of shame for the IOC.
