Finland, Norway block visas for Russian athletes
Ukrainian Minister of Youth and Sports Matviy Bidny announced that Finland will restrict entry for Russian athletes competing in international events, even those representing neutral nations. Bidny expressed gratitude for this decision, made during a recent meeting with Finnish Sports Minister Mika Poutala, during a Facebook post on Thursday. The minister highlighted the decision's importance as Finland prepares to host the Cross-Country Skiing World Cup in late November.
Bidny emphasized that these restrictions should be part of a coordinated European policy and plans to raise the issue in a meeting of EU sports ministers in Brussels. He also called for barring Russian and Belarusian athletes and their national symbols from competitions. Bidny expressed appreciation for the support from Finland, Poland, Estonia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Canada, and other nations implementing similar restrictions.
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