The sporting world kept up its pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine with the Czech Republic joining Poland and Sweden in refusing to play Russia in the 2022 World Cup qualifying in football and the International Judo Federation (IJF) suspending Vladimir Putin’s honorary president status at the world body.

The Czech soccer association's executive committee said it “unanimously approved a decision that the Czech national team will not in any case play Russia.” The Czechs are potential opponents of Russia in next month’s playoffs.

The executive committee asked Czech soccer federation head Petr Fousek to lead negotiations with Uefa and Fifa about the Czech position. The IJF, on the other hand, cited “the ongoing war conflict in Ukraine” for suspending President Putin, a keen judoka himself.

Dayana flees

Ukrainian tennis star Dayana Yastremska has fled her native country and is now safe in France, she said in a social media post on Saturday. Yastremska, who has won three WTA titles and been ranked as high as world No. 21, said she left Odessa with her younger sister with help from their parents.

“Tired, but my sister and I are safe!” she posted on Saturday in an Instagram story, which showed their arrival in Romania en route to France. On Friday an Instagram post from Yastremska showed her and her sister sitting on luggage and wearing matching pink sweatpants and hoodies.

“After spending two nights in the underground parking, my parents made a decision at any cost to send me and my little sister out of Ukraine!” she said in a Instagram post.

Polish tennis star Iga Swiatek lent her support to the people in Ukraine saying she found it hard to picture a conflict so close to her homeland. “I want to show my support to all the people who are suffering in Ukraine,” an emotional Swiatek, on the verge of tears, said on court following her triumph at Qatar Open.

Vow to fight

Former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, who is also the mayor of Kyiv, has said that his country would continue to fight against Russian aggression.

“We don’t want to live in Russian empire… We will fight for our independency, for our family, for our future,” Vitali said.

(Written with agency inputs)