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Ukraine’s Bidnyi ‘outraged’ by Russia’s Olympic return

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Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi says he is “outraged” at the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to lift restrictions on Russian athletes and he has called on IOC President Kirsty Coventry to visit Ukraine.

“Together with all Ukrainians and the entire clean sports community worldwide, I am profoundly outraged. This decision is deeply unfair to every athlete who plays by the rules, and it is a total disrespect to the memory of hundreds of Ukrainian athletes killed by Russia,” Bidnyi wrote in response to a DW query.

Bidnyi added that Coventry should come to Ukraine in order to “see the reality with her own eyes.”

“I want her to stand on our train platforms and see our defenders saying goodbye to their children before leaving for the frontline. I want her to visit our ruined sports academies and meet our young athletes who have to train under missile sirens. I am absolutely convinced that after witnessing this firsthand, any talk of ‘neutrality’ or ‘procedural compliance’ would stop immediately,” the sports minister said.

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Athletes on Duty

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A legal trick?

In its statement released on Tuesday, the IOC said that analysis conducted by its Legal Affairs Commission had found that the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) no longer included any regional sports organizations in territories falling under the jurisdiction of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee.

Russian Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev welcomed ‌the IOC’s decision, saying it should clear the way for Russian athletes to make a full return to international sport.

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However, Bidnyi, his Ukrainian counterpart, said this was misleading because the ROC had actually excluded all 89 of its regional sports organizations, not just those in conquered Ukrainian territory.

“A direct exclusion of only Ukrainian territories would be perceived inside Russia as a sign of weakness. It would be a de facto admission that these territories do not belong to them – which is the absolute truth. I simply do not believe that the IOC fails to understand this. This is a deliberate decision to ignore reality, which completely ruins their own credibility.”

DW has approached the IOC for comment on the matter.

Russia has been shut out of international sporting competitions since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with the IOC suspending Russia’s Olympic Committee in 2023. In both Paris in 2024 and in Milano Cortina in 2026, some Russian athletes were still able to compete as neutrals but only if they could prove they did not support the war and had no affiliation with Russia’s military or security forces.

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In 2023, Bidnyi said in an interview with DW that calling Russian athletes “neutral means supporting murder.” Three years later, Ukraine’s sports minister met the latest IOC decision with an equally powerful response.

“It sends a dangerous message of total impunity to the entire world,” Bidnyi wrote.

Near-daily attacks continue

Recently, Ukrainian drone attacks have sparked fires at an oil refinery, fuel depots and a port in southern Russia. Kyiv described the strikes as retaliation for Russia’s near-daily attacks on Ukrainian civilians and energy infrastructure since Moscow launched its invasion.

“For Ukraine, this is a matter of survival. Since the full-scale invasion began, 688 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed by Russia. Additionally, 911 sports infrastructure facilities have been ruined or damaged,” Bidnyi said.

Vladyslav Heraskevych had his Olympic moment “stolen” as a result of honoring some of these athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Ukrainian athlete was prevented from competing in the men’s skeleton for wearing a helmet showing the portraits of more than 20 Ukrainian athletes who have been killed since Russia launched its invasion.

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Fighting to stop ‘moral failure for the entire sports world’

Ukraine’s sports minister said the country will fight the IOC decision in order to “defend the true values of sport.

“The symbols of an aggressor state have no place at international sports events,” Bidnyi said. “We cannot allow the world to forget the cost of this war, and we will keep exposing how Russia uses sport as a tool for war propaganda.”

When asked whether he agreed with Coventry’s position, that punishing athletes for the actions of governments is unfair, Bidnyi disagreed. The sports minister said this was not about individuals being punished for their passport, but more a case of accountability.

“You cannot celebrate ‘human dignity’ on an Olympic podium while your institution turns a blind eye to the ongoing murder of Ukrainian athletes,” he said.

In Tuesday’s statement, the IOC confirmed that the previous requirement that neutral athletes demonstrate that they have no links to Russia’s military and security agencies and hadn’t publicly supported the war, had been dropped,.

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Coventry said though, that the IOC would continue to monitor social media posts by Russian athletes.

“That is strong enough leverage that we would need at any time in order to decide who would be willing and deserving to come to any Olympic Games,” she said.

The ban on the playing of the Russian national anthem and the flag being displayed also remains in place – for now. Bidnyi believes that if Russia’s flag does fly at the Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles, it will amount to “a moral failure for the entire sports world.”

Jonathan Crane contributed to this report.

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Edited by: Chuck Penfold

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Pochettino agrees new USA deal until 2030

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Mauricio Pochettino has agreed a new deal to remain as manager of the United States men’s national team until 2030.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea boss has been in charge since September 2024 and led the USA to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup on home soil.

The co-hosts topped their group after wins over Paraguay and Australia before beating Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the last 32.

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Their World Cup run ended with a heavy 4-1 defeat by Belgium.

Under the new agreement, Pochettino and his coaching staff will have a bigger role within US Soccer. They will also advise and support the organisation on areas including youth development, coaching education, professional league partnerships and the wider national team pathway.

“Working together with US Soccer over the past two years, it has become clear to us that there is tremendous potential to make the men’s national team programme even stronger,” Pochettino said.

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“We are excited by the opportunity to bring all our experience and knowledge to even more areas of US Soccer while helping strengthen the pathways for players, coaches and teams across the federation.

“We want to try to have a lasting impact on the sport in the country that has welcomed us so warmly and for that impact to extend beyond results on the field.”

US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone praised the work done by Pochettino and his staff.

“Mauricio has built a culture where players trust the group, trust the process and trust each other,” she said.

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“We saw the impact of that belief in the way the team grew, competed and performed on the world’s biggest stage.

“That culture, and the staff who helped build it, are exactly what we want to continue investing in for the men’s national team now and for the future.”

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5 players who are switching states ahead of India’s 2026-27 domestic season ft. Shashank Singh

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The annual pre-season transfer window in Indian domestic cricket allows players to switch state associations as outstation or guest recruits under the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regulations.

State teams are permitted up to three guest players to strengthen their squads ahead of the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaigns. These transfers are driven by players seeking more game time, specialized roles, or leadership opportunities, while developing state teams aim to recruit veteran talents to bolster their squad depth.

The upcoming 2026-27 season features several notable moves, with prominent domestic regulars and IPL players shifting allegiances. Let’s take a look at five such moves.

#1 Shashank Singh

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) all-rounder Shashank Singh will turn up for Puducherry in the 2026-27 season after shifting base from Chhattisgarh. The Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh (CSCS) has already issued an NOC to the player.

Singh alleged that the state association didn’t support him while he was recovering from an injury that he suffered last season. He further claimed that the association questioned his commitment, saying that the batter only wanted to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 27-year-old added that CSCS officials didn’t give him any clarity over why he was left out of the Chhattisgarh Premier League and the team’s pre-season camp.

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Singh has played 21 first-class games for Chhattisgarh over the last seven years. He has also represented the state in 31 List A and 42 T20s.


#2 Yash Dayal

Royal Challengers Bengaluru fast bowler Yash Dayal will represent Chhattisgarh in the upcoming domestic season. He has already joined the team’s pre-season camp in Alur.

Dayal has not played any competitive cricket since the IPL 2025 final, after which he faced charges relating to sexual assault. The left-arm pacer was retained by Gorakhpur Lions for the upcoming UP T20 League. However, he didn’t feature in the 18-member squad the franchise announced following the auction.

The 28-year-old has represented Uttar Pradesh in 27 first-class, 23 List A, and 71 T20s, picking up 186 wickets across formats, including two five-wicket hauls.

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Dayal will look to start fresh for Chhattisgarh in the upcoming season and make his way back to the scheme of things.


#3 Dharmendrasinh Jadeja

Chhattisgarh is looking to build a strong squad for the upcoming domestic season. As a result, they have roped in Saurashtra‘s veteran left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja.

The 35-year-old spinner has been a stalwart in the domestic circuit, picking up 423 wickets in 100 first-class matches, including seven 10-wicket hauls and 26 five-fors. Jadeja also has 121 List A and 65 T20 wickets under his belt.

Jadeja is also a very handy batter in the lower order, accumulating almost 2900 runs across formats. He also has 10 fifties under his belt.

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Jadeja’s addition will certainly boost Chhattisgarh’s squad depth as they look to put in a spirited performance next season.


#4 Prasad Pawar

Mumbai wicketkeeper-batter Prasad Pawar has signed with Puducherry to play alongside Shashank Singh as a guest player in the upcoming domestic season.

Prasad has struggled for game time in the Mumbai squad, with Hardik Tamore playing as the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter. As a result, Prasad has decided to shift base to Puducherry in search of more playing time.

Prasad made his List A debut in 2021, while his first-class and T20 debuts came in 2023. Overall, he has represented Mumbai in 27 matches, scoring 591 runs, including one hundred and fifty each.

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#5 Jayant Yadav

An offspinner from Haryana, Jayant Yadav, has decided to join Chhattisgarh for the 2026-27 domestic season. He brings truckloads of experience along with him, having represented India in six Tests and two ODIs while picking up 17 wickets in total.

Yadav has 96 first-class, 74 List A, and 95 T20s under his belt, picking up 272, 68, and 61 wickets, respectively, including two 10-wicket hauls and 15 five-fors. He is also very handy with the bat in the lower order, scoring 4781 runs, including three hundreds and 22 fifties. The 36-year-old cricketer also has one Test hundred and fifty each to his name.

Chhattisgarh will rely heavily on the spin duo of Yadav and Jadeja to bring laurels for the team in the upcoming season.