UK Deaf Sport calls on Deaflympics body to ban Russia and Belarus ‘until further notice’

UK Deaf Sport has urged the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), which oversees the Deaflympics, to ban Russia and Belarus from the event ‘until further notice’ following the war in Ukraine.

The ICSD is yet to issue a statement commenting on the crisis, which began when Russian forces invaded the country last week.

Meanwhile Belarus has received international condemnation after it allowed Russia to use its territory to storm Ukraine last Thursday.

The Limping Chicken reached out to the ISCD for comment on Tuesday, and sent a follow-up prior to publishing this article, but they did not respond.

Following the statements by IOC, IPC and other International Federations, UK Deaf Sport calls on the @ICSDNews & @deaf_edso to ban Russia and Belarus from all activities within their purview, until further notice. @ICSD#DeafSport pic.twitter.com/h27KVnCHJO

— UK Deaf Sport (@deafsport) March 3, 2022

This is despite the International Olympic Committee recommending that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not participate in international events, and the International Paralympic Committee refusing entries from the two countries at the Winter Paralympics in Beijing from Friday.

In the latest intervention, UK Deaf Sport have called upon the ICSD and the European Deaf Sports Organisation to “ban Russia and Belarus from all all activities within their purview until further notice”.

A statement on their website reads: “We at UKDS condemn the use of force by Russia in its invasion of Ukraine.

“Following the statements by IOC, IPC and other International Federations, UK Deaf Sport (UKDS) calls on the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) and European Deaf Sports Organisation (EDSO) to ban Russia and Belarus from all activities within their purview, until further notice.

“UKDS stands by the Ukraine Deaf Sports Federation in solidarity at this difficult time. We also offer our support to the people and athletes of Ukraine.”

It comes exactly a month after UK Deaf Sport agreed it would be “irresponsible” to send Deaflympics GB to this year’s event in Brazil, due to the pandemic, important information “yet to be agreed” and the team “only [having] a few months to prepare”.

“Whilst hugely disappointing for DeaflympicsGB athletes and team staff,  the safety of the DeaflympicsGB Team remains our priority as the National Federation,” they said.

Photo: UK Deaf Sport/Twitter.

By Liam O’Dell. Liam is an award-winning Deaf freelance journalist and campaigner from Bedfordshire. He can be found talking about disability, theatre, politics and more on Twitter and on his website.