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Ukrainian Athletes Briefly Blocked at World Games Ceremony Over National Colors Dispute
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
In China, the Ukrainian delegation was initially prevented from entering the stadium during the opening ceremony of the World Games—an international competition featuring sports not included in the Olympic program.
This was reported by Illia Shevliak, President of the Sports Committee of Ukraine, during a broadcast on Ukraine’s Pershyi TV channel.
Shevliak said representatives of the organizing committee objected to the jackets worn by Ukrainian female athletes, claiming they resembled the national flag of Ukraine.
“The situation was resolved. Indeed, such an incident took place. Representatives of the organizing committee explained that the uniforms of our team—particularly the women’s jackets—closely resembled the flag, and therefore the team could not be allowed into the stadium,” Shevliak said.
According to him, the delegation was told that the athletes must remove their jackets before being allowed to enter together. He noted that similar situations had occurred at other tournaments in China and that the Ukrainian side had taken a united position, considering such actions unacceptable, as a national team’s uniform is typically linked to national symbols.
"The jackets worn by our women indeed resemble our flag. They are effectively split in half into the colors of our flag. For us, it is a matter of principle that they participate in the tournament in the uniforms prepared for the event," he added.
Shevliak confirmed that the issue was resolved, and the Ukrainian athletes took part in the opening ceremony in full and without any changes to their appearance.
"The issue has been settled. It was explained as not being a political decision by the organizing committee but rather a possible oversight by the staff responsible for security at the stadium and in the athletes’ village," he concluded.
The World Games in Chengdu will run until August 17.
Earlier, it was reported that Oleksandr Bondarev, a 16-year-old Ukrainian driver for Prema Racing, claimed his maiden victory in the Italian Formula 4 Championship, winning the third race of the fifth round in Imola.
