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Sportshour: What now for sport in Ukraine?

Discussion & Talk

Benfica’s Roman Yaremchuk.jpg

26/02/2022 GMT

What now for sport in Ukraine?

BBC World Service - Sportshour, What now for sport in Ukraine?

We explore what Russia's military action means for Ukraine's athletes.

We speak to the Ukrainian Tennis player Illya Marchenko who tells us that, for him, this is sadly all too familiar.  His war started eight years ago when he was forced to flee from his home in Donetsk.  He and his wife packed a bag and have never returned.  Despite what Russia is doing as a country, Illya explains why he wouldn’t necessarily support a ban on Russian sportspeople competing internationally – he says he has Russian friends in the Tennis world and they don’t necessarily agree with what their country is doing.

After Uefa announced that the 2022 Champions League Final would be taken away from St Petersburg, and Formula One stated it would be “impossible” to stage the Russian Grand Prix, we examine the future of sporting events – both those due to feature teams representing Ukraine, and also those events that would normally be welcoming Russian participants or relying on the country as a host.  Would sporting sanctions work?  Richard Mills, an Associate Professor in Modern European History from the University of East Anglia, explains the parallels already apparent behind the events of this week and what happened during the wars in Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

Away from the events in Ukraine, we’re joined by the Beijing Olympic Ice Hockey gold medallist, Brianne Jenner.  She explains what Canada’s victory on the ice means for women’s Ice Hockey in North America, as well as what it’s done for wider issues around representation and LGBTQ visibility and how, hopefully, it’s changing the world that her baby daughter June will grow up in.

This week, US Soccer settled it’s long-running legal dispute over equal pay with the US Women’s National Team.  An American soccer legend, Brandi Chastain, tells us just how significant this moment is and what should happen next.

Staying in the States, the new MLS season kicks off on this weekend – with the League welcoming a brand new franchise.  Christian Fuchs is among those that Adam Samuel has spoken to for a package all about Charlotte FC.

And … why not join us in the metaverse?  What are we talking about?  It’s Manchester City’s plan to create a ‘virtual stadium’ in which fans from all over the world can watch City’s live matches.  Nuria Tarre from the City Football Group does her best to explain.


Image: Roman Yaremchuk of SL Benfica celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the Round Of Sixteen Leg One - UEFA Champions League match between SL Benfica and AFC Ajax at Estadio da Luz on February 23, 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Photo by Gualter Fatia/Getty Images)

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