Ukraine not to participate in World Biathlon Cup stage in Russia - Zhdanov

Ukrainian Youth and Sport Minister Ihor Zhdanov said this after a meeting with President of the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine Volodymyr Brynzak.

"Today I met with President of the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine Volodymyr Brynzak. We discussed the situation surrounding the last stage of the Biathlon World Cup. The state has no right to interfere with the activities of sports federations as separate non-governmental organizations, but all the rules have an exception. It's about an aggressor country, a country that systematically ignores international law, including in the field of sports, does not adhere to anti-doping rules. A joint decision has been made - the Ukrainian national team will not take part in the ninth stage of the World Cup in Tyumen," Zhdanov wrote on his Facebook page.

Earlier, Ukrainian Youth and Sports Minister Ihor Zhdanov called on the Biathlon Federation of Ukraine to boycott the Biathlon World Cup stage in Tyumen, Russia, and called on international federations "not to conduct international sports competitions in the territory of the aggressor state and gross violator of the World Anti-Doping Code."

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