“The slogan “sport is beyond politics” is no longer even convenient to pronounce” – Crimean grandmaster
Today, athletes are forced to pay more attention to what they can or cannot say, rather than how to win competitions.
Grandmaster, FIDE World Cup winner, world rapid chess champion Sergei Karyakin stated this during the federal educational marathon “New Horizons,” PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“Most reasonable and thinking people understand where the truth is and where deceit begins. But if you say this, you come under attack, it is clear that in the West they are already beginning to treat you differently if you take a pro-Russian position. I already encountered this in 2014, when Crimea was annexed.
As a Crimean, I came out in support. After that, they stopped inviting me to Western tournaments for some time. Then, when the situation had more or less calmed down, they began to invite me again. I understood what I was doing, but I went on principle,” said Karyakin.
He also spoke about the state of affairs in sports in the West.
“The United States simply bought up already established strong chess players from different countries. That’s why the US team now includes a Filipino, a Cuban, an Armenian, and several other chess players from different countries, it’s just such a hodgepodge. In fact, this is not the US team, but it’s unclear what. On the one hand, what is not prohibited is allowed, but we have a different path, we must raise our chess players,” the grandmaster urged.
“The slogan is sport outside of politics, I don’t even feel comfortable saying it anymore. Because sport is absolutely in politics now, unfortunately. Athletes are already forced to think about what they should say or not say in life, and not about how they should do some combinations,” stated the World Cup winner.
English version :: Read in English “The slogan “sport is beyond politics” is no longer even convenient to pronounce” – Crimean grandmaster