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A32 sports
Diamars 1 maart 2022

Olympic body calls for Russia to be excluded from sports

(AP) — In a sweeping moving Russian teams from for the war.
move to isolate and con- sports. In 1992, following
demn Russia after invad- United Nations sanctions, If Russia were to play Po-
ing Ukraine, the Interna- FIFA and UEFA expelled land as scheduled on March
tional Olympic Commit- Yugoslavia from its competi- 24 and win, the team would
tee urged sports bodies tions when war broke out in then face either Sweden
on Monday to exclude the the Balkans. or the Czech Republic on
country’s athletes and of- March 29.
ficials from international Besides Schalke’s effort to
events. drop Gazprom as a partner, Swedish soccer federation
UEFA is also expected to see president Karl-Erik Nilsson,
The IOC said it was needed if it can nullify its sponsor- who is also the senior vice
to “protect the integrity of ship deals with the company. president at UEFA, said Sun-
global sports competitions Gazprom sponsors both the day he expected a “sharper
and for the safety of all the Champions League and the stance” from FIFA.
participants.” European Championship.
The IOC also withdrew the them. Polish soccer federation pres-
The decision opened the way Olympic Order it gave Vladi- FIFA has attracted the most ident Cezary Kulesza said
for FIFA, the governing body mir Putin in 2001, and other “The Swedish Football As- criticism among sports bod- Sunday it was “totally unac-
of soccer, to exclude Russia Russian officials since. sociation is disappointed ies for allowing Russia to ceptable” that FIFA had not
from a World Cup qualify- with FIFA’s decision but is continue competing, at least immediately expelled Russia
ing playoff match on March Sports bodies across Europe determined to continue to for now, in the World Cup from World Cup qualifying
24. Poland has refused to play had already moved against work together with other qualifying playoffs. It has and said Poland is “not inter-
the scheduled game against Russia on Monday by refus- federations to cancel Rus- kept open the option of a ban. ested in participating in this
Russia. ing to host or play against sia’s matches in the upcom- game of appearances.”
teams from the country. ing World Cup qualifiers,” FIFA attempted to compro-
The Olympic body’s call also the body said Monday, citing mise by ordering Russia to Another of Russia’s future
applied to athletes and offi- Finland wants the Russian the “illegal and deeply unjust play at neutral venues with- opponents, Albania, also said
cial from Belarus, which has hockey team to be banned invasion of Ukraine.” out its flag and anthem and Sunday it would not play
abetted Russia’s invasion by from the men’s world cham- under the name of its federa- against that country in any
allowing its territory to be pionships it will host in May, The World Cup is scheduled tion — the Football Union of sports. Russia and Albania
used to station troops and the Swiss soccer federation to begin on Nov. 21 in Qatar. Russia. are scheduled to meet twice
launch military attacks. said its women’s team will not in June in the UEFA Nations
play Russia in July at the Eu- In European club soccer, That aligns with sanctions League soccer tournament.
The IOC said it acted “with ropean Championship, and Russian team Spartak Mos- imposed by the Court of The group also includes Ice-
a heavy heart” but the impact German soccer club Schalke cow is still scheduled to play Arbitration for Sport in De- land and Israel.
of war on Ukrainian sports said it had decided to end next week in the Europa cember 2020 to punish Rus-
outweighed the potential its longstanding partnership League against German club sia for state-backed doping In hockey, the sport’s gov-
damage done to athletes from with Russian state-owned Leipzig. European governing and cover-ups of cheating, erning body has come un-
Russia and Belarus. energy giant Gazprom. body UEFA allowed Spartak and applied at last year’s To- der pressure from Finland
to take its place in the round kyo Olympics and this year’s and Switzerland to ban Rus-
It was not a total blanket ban FIFA declined to ban Russia of 16 draw on Friday, one day Winter Games in Beijing. sia and Belarus, which are
by the IOC. Where exclusion from the World Cup over the after Putin ordered the inva- both due to play at the world
was “not possible on short weekend. Instead, the soc- sion to start. The Russian soccer team championships in May in
notice for organizational or cer body said the country’s was already due to play un- Helsinki and Tampere.
legal reasons,” then teams national team will have to UEFA called a meeting of its der those conditions if they
from Russia and Belarus compete as Football Union executive committee for later qualified for the World Cup Finnish Hockey Association
should compete as neutral of Russia as punishment. Monday and is expected to because of the doping scan- chairman Harri Nummela
athletes with no national flag, Besides Poland, both Swe- exclude Russian teams from dals. FIFA’s decision to apply said in a statement Monday
anthem or symbols, includ- den and the Czech Republic, its competitions based on the the conditions to a regional it had talks with the Zurich-
ing at the upcoming Winter Russia’s next potential oppo- IOC’s announcement. sports event — European based IIHF to exclude the
Paralympics in Beijing. nents, have said they would qualification games — is the two countries from the sport
refuse to take the field against There is precedent for re- only element of punishment internationally.

Larson holds off Dillon, Suarez for NASCAR win at Fontana

(AP) — Even after Kyle no longer has to wonder — teammate into the wall while missed that notion, and they penalty, the relentless multi-
Larson’s dominant fin- although his path to victory he fought to stay in front of believe there won’t be long- disciplinary competitor and
ish to 2021, he entered the included a fateful collision Joey Logano. Larson apolo- term damage to their Hen- Northern California native
new NASCAR Cup Series with furious teammate Chase gized for the collision over drick relationship. “I know roared to another win at
season full of uncertainty. Elliott on a wild day at Fon- the radio, saying he hadn’t we’re all great teammates Fontana in an entertaining
tana. seen Elliott making a bold together,” Daniels said. “I race featuring ample passing,
“Going into a new car, you move to get past him — but know it’s nothing they would plenty of mistakes and thrill-
just don’t know if you’re go- The defending NASCAR Elliott, who finished 26th, ever do intentionally. I don’t ing top-to-bottom moves on
ing to win or not,” he said. Cup Series champion held and his team were decidedly blame Chase at all for mak- the seasoned five-wide as-
off Austin Dillon and Daniel displeased. ing what could have been the phalt.
Just two races into the new Suarez in a tense finish Sun- race-winning move (earlier).
year in the new car, Larson day, surviving a restart with Larson then had victory in ... Unfortunate, but I know Larson made it out of the pits
four laps left to win at Auto sight with eight laps to go we’re all going to get on the first after the final caution,
Club Speedway for the sec- when Elliott spun, forcing same page.” and he led off the final re-
ond time. a race-record 12th caution. start. He was neck-and-neck
NASCAR fans went wild The brouhaha with Elliott with Suarez, who briefly got
Before the chaotic finish, with online speculation that colored another superb race in front with two laps left be-
Larson and Elliott made con- Elliott’s spin was a deliber- for Larson, who surpris- fore Dillon got into the draft
tact with just under 20 laps ate attempt to hurt Larson’s ingly hadn’t won any races to take his own shot at the
to go, with Larson pinching chances to win. Larson and anywhere yet in 2022. Af- leader.
his Hendrick Motorsports crew chief Cliff Daniels dis- ter starting at the rear under