World beach volleyball champion Tina Graudina from Latvia has spearheaded an initiative against the decision of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to reinstate Russian and Belarusian athletes on the international stage. The Latvian athlete organized an open letter to the FIVB, signed by 81 athletes from 19 countries, and the international federation has already sent an official response defending its decision. The sources of information are the Latvian Sportacentrs and LSM, while the Russian websiteBusiness-gazeta.ruhighlights the reactions following the publication of the letter. According tosportacentrs.comthe initiative emerged immediately after the FIVB's decision to follow the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee and re-admit Russian and Belarusian athletes to international tournaments, also reinstating their ranking points.
The letter was distributed among 180 beach volleyball players, 81 of whom signed it. The 19 countries represented include the USA, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Czech Republic, France, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Germany. "I understood that such a letter would hardly change the FIVB's decision, but it's better to at least show that we disagree than to remain silent. Silence means consent," Graudina stated to Latvian media. In the letter, the authors insist that the FIVB reconsider its decision, opposing the return of Russian athletes to international beach volleyball tournaments, the reinstatement of their ranking points, and the potential use of Russian national symbols. The document further emphasizes that Ukrainian athletes continue to train under wartime conditions and that human life and peace should be prioritized over the right to participate in sports competitions.
In its official response, signed by FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, Secretary General Hugh McCutcheon, and Athletes' Commission Chairwoman Louise Baudoin, the international federation states that it unequivocally condemns all forms of violence and remains deeply concerned by ongoing armed conflicts worldwide. The FIVB recalls that since the beginning of the war, it has invested approximately 1 million dollars in support of Ukrainian volleyball and beach volleyball to ensure the participation of Ukrainian athletes in international, continental, and zonal tournaments. At the same time, the federation defends its principled position that athletes should not be held responsible for the actions of their governments. "Athletes should not be disadvantaged due to circumstances beyond their control," states the FIVB's position. It is for this reason that the organization has decided that Russian and Belarusian athletes should return with the ranking points they possessed before their removal.
Graudina, however, does not accept this reasoning. "They maintain the position that there should be equality – if all countries involved in armed conflicts are not sanctioned, then Russia should not be sanctioned either. This is a logical argument, but in the value system that I and the Baltic states share, equality ranks lower than condemning committed crimes," commented the world champion.
The Russian websiteBusiness-gazeta.rualso draws attention to the discussion that arose after the letter was published in the FIVB athletes' chat. According to Graudina, some of the volleyball players raised the question of whether a similar letter should be prepared regarding Israel's participation in international tournaments. The publication states that many athletes expressed the opinion that it is unfair for Russia to be sanctioned while Israel does not face similar restrictions. However, such an initiative did not develop, and a second letter was not sent.
Meanwhile, the President of the Latvian Volleyball Federation, Arnis Tunte, stated that the federation has no intention of boycotting international tournaments involving Russia and Belarus. According to him, such a step would primarily harm Latvian athletes if no real alternative to official international competitions is offered.

photo:sport.business-gazeta.ru/