Many sporting bodies are monitoring the conflict in hopes of ensuring the safety and completion of this year's event calendar. (Screenshot by Jamar Knight)
By Jamar Knight on Thursday, 24 February, 2022 at 11:37 AM
Several governing sports bodies are monitoring the escalating hostilities between Ukraine and Russia while making plans to ensure the safety of future sporting events.
The Union of European Football Associations’ (UEFA) President, Aleksander Ceferin, has called for an emergency meeting to determine the fate of the upcoming Champion’s League Final.
The match was to be hosted by Russia and was set to be played at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg on May 28th. UEFA is currently in the process of evaluating alternative venues for the prestigious club game and will announce its decision tomorrow.
Formula One’s Russian Grand Prix still remains on the race calendar, however in an official statement, an FIA spokesperson had announced the body would continue to monitor events closely, but no comment could be made at this time regarding the race scheduled for September.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also condemned Russia for the escalating conflict. The committee said the Russian government had breached the Olympic Truce. The truce, meant to be a symbol of peace and protect the interests of athletes, began seven days before the start of the Beijing Winter Olympics on February 4th, and would have ended seven days after the closing of the March Paralympic Games to be held from the 4th to the 13th.
The IOC added that it has established a task force to monitor the situation and to coordinate humanitarian efforts to aid members of the Olympic Community in Ukraine where possible.