\tUkrainian Tennis Player Oliynykova Refuses Handshake with Hungarian Rival over Russia – Hungarian Conservative<\/p>\n
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Skip to content<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\tUkrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova sparked controversy at the WTA 250 tournament in Cluj-Napoca after refusing to shake hands or pose for a joint photo with Hungary\u2019s Anna Bodn\u00e1r during their match. Oliynykova cited Bodn\u00e1r\u2019s earlier participation in a tournament held in Russia as the reason for rejecting the traditional gestures, drawing a comparison to taking part in a sporting event in Nazi Germany.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Ukrainian tennis player Oleksandra Oliynykova refused to shake hands and pose for a joint photo after defeating Hungary\u2019s Anna Bodn\u00e1r at the WTA 250 tournament in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, on 3 February.<\/p>\n Oliynykova won the match 2\u20130 (6\u20134, 6\u20134), advancing to the quarter-finals of the tournament. However, the Ukrainian player did not display sportsmanlike behaviour before or after the match.<\/p>\n A day ahead of the match, Oliynykova announced that she would not participate in the traditional pre-match joint photo or the post-match handshake<\/a>, citing Anna Bodn\u00e1r\u2019s participation in a sporting event held in Russia in 2022.<\/p>\n \u2018The tournament was funded by Gazprom, one of the key financial pillars of the Russian war machine. These are the same funds Russia uses to kill and maim Ukrainian women and children. They serve to destroy our parents, brothers, and husbands, who are defending their families, cities, and villages on their own land,\u2019 Oliynykova said in an interview before the match. She compared playing in Russia to participating in a tournament in Nazi Germany in 1941.<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s about humanity, human dignity, and fundamental human values. I cannot ignore it. The global tennis community should not ignore it. Fans should not forget it,\u2019 she continued. Oliynykova added that if Bodn\u00e1r were to publicly apologize and condemn Russia\u2019s aggression, she would have changed her mind about the joint photo and handshake.<\/p>\n That, however, did not happen, nor did the ceremonial gestures.<\/p>\n The move came as international sports associations are reconsidering removing the ban on Russia imposed after it invaded Ukraine in 2022. Most recently, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that international bans in general do more harm than good, advocating for the nearly four-year-old ban to be lifted.<\/a><\/p>\n Hungary opposed banning Russian athletes from international competitions from the outset, with Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade P\u00e9ter Szijj\u00e1rt\u00f3 emerging as a leading voice against these efforts. Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the minister said the Games\u2019 true mission is \u2018promoting peace\u2019 and that they should focus on this rather than politics.<\/p>\n