Russian tennis star Andrey Rublev shared a pointed message of peace after winning a semi-final match at the Dubai Tennis Championships on Friday.
In a briefclip, Rublev had just upset Hubert Hurkacz of Poland, perESPN, when he could be seen writing “No war please” on a camera.
“In these moments you realize that my match is not important,” Rublev said during apress conference, shared via Tennis Channel International. “So it’s not about my match, how [it affects] me. Because what’s happening is much more terrible. You realize how important it is to have peace in the world and to respect each other no matter what and to be united.”
“We should take care of our earth and of each other. This is the most important thing,” he concluded.
Czech tennis player Jiří Veselý — who will face Rublev in the championship match on Saturday —penneda similar message on a camera after his earlier match, simply writing “No war.”
Russia began its invasion of Ukraine earlier this week afterVladimir Putin announceda “special military operation” in a televised address Thursday morning local time. Theattack is still-evolving, but explosions and airstrikes have been reported, with threats mounting against the capital, Kyiv, a city of 2.8 million people.
In a statement, the IOC cited the “safety” and “security of athletes as a top priority and its reason for urging international sports federations to act swiftly and make the move.”
“In addition, the IOC EB urges that no Russian or Belarussian national flag be displayed and no Russian or Belarussian anthem be played in international sports events which are not already part of the respective World Anti-Doping Agency sanctions for Russia,” it continued.
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source: people.com
