The mayor of the Romanian capital banned the anthem of the Russian Federation contrary to the decision of FIG

The Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team has officially refused to participate in the Challenge Cup in Romania, which starts on June 26. A glaring scandal and precedent: city officials suddenly banned Russian athletes from using the flag and anthem. And this is contrary to the permission of the International Federation (FIG).

In the mottled palette of banners hung above the gym carpet, two gray-blue, neutral flags hung in the upper left corner. They should be Russian and Belarusian instead, but they are not. As there are no anthems of both countries in the local music library. Under such conditions, the Russian gymnasts decided not to perform.

There are no athletes from the Russian Federation in the hall where the Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge Cup is being held. The Russian national team left the arena when it became known that the local authorities would not comply with international rules.

This is a gross violation of the decision of the International Gymnastics Federation made a month ago. Then the executive committee of the organization fully restored Russia's rights, returned the flag and anthem. But the Romanian authorities considered that they were the most important in world sports.

"The organizers verbally informed us that the national flag of the Russian Federation will not be displayed at the sports arena and the national anthem will not be performed in the event of a victory for Russian gymnasts. Our national team is always ready to compete in tournaments where the requirements of World Gymnastics are met," said Linar Ginatullin, press attache for Rhythmic gymnastics at the FGR.

The decision to cancel the Russian athletes again was made not by sports officials, but by the city authorities.

"The Russian national anthem will not be played in Cluj-Napoca and the Russian flag will not be used to represent athletes from that country," said Cluj—Napoca Mayor Emil Bock.

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Our national team returned to the continental championship and won the unofficial team competition.

At the same time, the local gymnastics federation, unlike politicians, understands the consequences. The country risks losing the right to host the World Junior Championships next year.

"We are caught between a rock and a hard place. We're too small to fight two colossi. However, sport should have nothing to do with politics," said Irina Deleanu, head of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation.

A political decision that contradicts sporting decisions sets a dangerous precedent. The competitions are entrusted to a country where the international federation's charter is openly ignored, and this is exactly what the International Olympic Committee tried to prevent.

"You know, the Olympic Charter has just been literally amended to avoid such situations. And the IOC also recommends that international federations not politicize sports. So then you say, we are not a sport outside politics, we are a sport with politics. That's it. Period," said Svetlana Zhurova, First Deputy Chairman of the Duma's International Affairs Committee.

Russia intends to do everything to ensure that such unilateral actions, which break the entire structure of the global sports movement, do not go unpunished.

"Therefore, for our part, we will do everything to ensure that Romania loses the right to host, at least, international gymnastics competitions, and at most, all international competitions. This should be a lesson for this country and the local princes," said Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of Sports and head of the Russian Olympic Committee.

This incident will not change the main thing: Russia is one of the strongest in rhythmic gymnastics. This is definitely clear even to Romanian officials. After all, if they tried so furiously to ban the Russian national anthem, it means they were sure that it would definitely have been played more than once.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on the same day called the decision of the Romanian authorities outrageous. According to him, the relations of the Russian Gymnastics Federation with the international federation have been established, and we are talking about an absolutely "voluntaristic" approach of the municipal authorities of the Romanian city. Peskov added that he was proud of the gymnasts from Russia who refused to participate in the Challenge Cup.