Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi says he is "outraged" at the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) decision to lift restrictions on Russian athletes and he has called on IOC President Kirsty Coventry to visit Ukraine.
"Together with all Ukrainians and the entire clean sports community worldwide, I am profoundly outraged. This decision is deeply unfair to every athlete who plays by the rules, and it is a total disrespect to the memory of hundreds of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia," Bidnyi wrote in response to a DW query.
Bidnyi added that Coventry should come to Ukraine in order to "see the reality with her own eyes."
"I want her to stand on our train platforms and see our defenders saying goodbye to their children before leaving for the frontline. I want her to visit our ruined sports academies and meet our young athletes who have to train under missile sirens. I am absolutely convinced that after witnessing this firsthand, any talk of 'neutrality' or 'procedural compliance' would stop immediately," the sports minister said.
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