JAKARTA – Russian gymnast Ivan Kuliak has no regrets about wearing a gymnastic leotard with the symbol Z which is associated with pro-invasion of Ukraine. He even had plans to do the same on another occasion.
Kuliak has faced criticism after wearing a gymnastics jersey with the alphabet Z on it while taking the podium to receive the bronze medal in the parallel bars at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Doha, Qatar this week.
What Kuliak did became the center of attention and even received criticism from the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG). Moreover, on the same podium there was a Ukrainian athlete Kovtun Illia who received a gold medal.
"If there was a second chance and I had the choice to wear a t-shirt with the letter 'Z' on my chest or not, I would do the same," Kuliak was quoted as saying by ITV of Russia Today.
Kuliak's apparent actions sparked so much controversy because the letter Z is now the symbol of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This invasion according to UN data has killed 474 civilians so far.
Russian troops use the letter Z as an identification symbol on their vehicles in Ukraine. Previously the same symbol was also seen on Russian tanks in the civil war with Syria.
The symbol has also been co-opted as a symbol of right-wing nationalism in Russia, a group that flourished under Putin. However, so far it is not known the real reason why some Russian soldiers decided to paint their war vehicles with that symbol.
Z stands for 'Za pobedy' which means 'For victory'. During the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian military affixed or inscribed this symbol all over their tanks.
Kuliak said he learned of the symbol from Russian militaries during the invasion. He admitted that the symbol besides meaning 'for victory' also has another meaning, namely 'for peace'.
"I just wanted to show my position. As an athlete, I will always fight for victory and play for peace," he said.
After that incident FIG immediately issued their statement. The gym's parent organization said that it would ask the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation to open disciplinary proceedings against Kuliak following his shocking behavior.
Prior to the event in Doha, the FIG had announced that all Russian gymnasts and officials were barred from appearing in international championships from 7 March until further notice. This is in line with global sporting sanctions against the country.
The Olympic and Paralympic Committees, FIFA and Formula 1, are among the major organizations that exclude Russia from their sports. Russia was even barred from competing in the Qatar World Cup, hosting the Sochi F1 Grand Prix, and competing in the Beijing Paralympics.
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