Student Sport Ireland (SSI) condemns the war and destruction being visited on the people of Ukraine, and supports the call for the exclusion of Russia and Belarus representation and involvement in international university sport.
In solidarity with our friends and colleagues at the Sports Students Union of Ukraine, and following the stance of the Olympic Federation of Ireland, International Federation of University Sport (FISU), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), SSI confirms our support of the removal and exclusion of Russia and Belarus representation and involvement across all forms of international sport, and declining to compete against representative teams and athletes of these nations.
SSI welcomes FISU’s announcement of the cancellation of its competitions scheduled for Russia and Belarus later this summer, and we add our support alongside the stance of other International University Sport Federations that FISU, and EUSA (the European University Sports Association) immediately ban all Russian and Belarusian participation in university sports competitions and committee representation.
SSI is united in its support for those impacted by this crisis, and hopes that a combined voice and collective action will create change, leading to a cessation of all hostilities, and echo FISU’s wishes for the resumption of dialogue and the return of peace to Ukraine and its people. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this war, including the humanitarian and refugee crisis.