Against the backdrop of the disqualification of a Ukrainian athlete at the Olympics in Milan, the question arises again: are the decisions of large sports structures always fair? Or are they increasingly becoming hostages of bureaucracy and politics?
We have been through something like this before.
In July 1980, in parallel with the Moscow Olympics, an alternative “Free Olympics” was held in Centennial Park (Toronto). It was organised by Ukrainian and other diaspora organisations.
More than 400 athletes took part — Ukrainians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians, Armenians, and representatives of other enslaved nations who had no opportunity to perform under their own flags at the official Olympics. Their national flags fluttered there, their anthems were played. It was not a gesture against sports — it was a gesture for Dignity.
Andriy Bandera (son of the OUN Leader, in the photo) also participated in the preparation of these competitions, one of the organisers of student and sports life, who understood that sports are not just about medals, they are a tool of national presence in the world.
Back then, Ukrainians did not wait for permission from large international structures. They created a space where fair competition was more important than political compromises.
Perhaps it is time to remember this experience. Because true sport is born where there is Freedom and Dignity — not just the seals of international committees.
Modern view of Centennial Park (Toronto)
Andriy Bandera (1946-1984)
