It seemed to Finnish politicians that there was little pressure on their hockey players, who in the spring, under various pretexts, left the KHL in a hurry. They are ready to take on Russian athletes as well, offering asylum for abandoning their native country. Will the Finns be able to gather in Russia a rich catch of sports-looking political emigrants, or will they be disappointed?

Depends on working with doubters.

Food for thought

Finnish MP Timo Heinonen, who is responsible for sports in the local legislature, announced the possibility for Russian athletes to receive political asylum in Europe and North America.

– It would be better for these athletes to join other countries. Western countries and the NHL could grant them political asylum,” the deputy wrote on social networks.

Heinonen spoke in the context of the situation with hockey goalie Ivan Fedotov, who, having signed a contract with the NHL club, went instead of North America to do military service somewhere in the north of Russia. It can be assumed that the Finnish politician sincerely worries about the fate of the vice-champion of the Olympics, who, by the way, was born in Finland. However, isn’t he taking too much upon himself, agitating our athletes to flee the country, and even for political reasons?

You can, of course, laugh at a politician of a foreign state who tells a whole list of countries what to do with Russian athletes, and even involves the National Hockey League in his dubious undertaking. Or even as a “mirror measure” to invite Finnish athletes to Russia through the mouth of one of our deputies. But in fact, such a probing of the soil should not make you laugh, but alert. Judging by the latest news, there are enough doubters among our athletes. And each such statement from abroad gives them food for thought.

Daria Kasatkina / Photo: © Clive Brunskill / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru

Tired waiting room

For now, fortunately, there is no need to talk about the mass exodus of our athletes under foreign banners. Some take their time with sharp steps and try to take a break to figure out which way the wind is blowing. Others decide to change their citizenship, but not all of them receive support abroad.

You can’t really do anything with the latter, if you don’t resort to completely medieval methods, fortunately, those who decided on the final move are still in the minority. But a significant number of now doubters may flow into their number if, on the one hand, foreign well-wishers continue to promise “sweet carrots” for abandoning their homeland, and on the other, athletes will see all the same uncertainty as now.

Fans can despise defectors as much as they like, but the factor of public censure is unlikely to change anything in the decision of athletes who will eventually get fed up with being in this “waiting room”. It should be understood that our athletes are thinking about emigration for the most part not for political reasons, no matter what Western deputies think. They worry about their sporting prospects.

Young people at the peak of their careers remain in the dark – in a year they will return to the international arena or in a decade and a half? And if a return to foreign competitions is not expected in the foreseeable future, will they be able to satisfy their financial and, more importantly, sports ambitions in alternative competitions?

Photo: © Denis Bushkovsky / Match TV

“Need to move quickly”

Caring for athletes is a multi-level task of federations and ministries, both at the national level and at the regional level. Of course, there are those who are trying to do everything possible in a difficult situation so that athletes do not even think about changing sports citizenship. But it seems that there are also such functionaries who are not very interested in other people’s problems. At least, this is openly stated by the president of the All-Russian Federation of Rhythmic Gymnastics (VFCG) Irina Viner-Usmanova.

– First of all, it is necessary that we do not have a “fifth column” in the leadership of both federations and in the Ministry of Sports and regional ministries and committees. To help and revise laws that do not correspond to current realities. Not six months, but within ten days, a maximum of two weeks, Viner-Usmanova said in an interview with RIA.

Photo: © RIA Novosti / Anton Denisov

– We need to quickly reorganize, make club competitions among friendly countries. You need to maintain relations with them, make your leagues, your club tournaments international. We can make competitions alternative even to the Olympic Games. Athletes are ready,” added the head of the WFHG.

There are, of course, questions about the possibility of organizing an alternative to the Olympics, and the competitiveness of friendly countries is far from being at the level in every sports discipline. But the thought is right, it is dangerous to wait for the weather by the sea, believing that tomorrow all Russians will be allowed to participate in international competitions. “Plan B” should be for every sport that has value for our country. It is important for athletes to understand that Russia needs them, only in this case the catch of Heinonen, thirsting for an influx of political emigrants, will be extremely small.