Champions of terror

Russia uses sport as a tool of propaganda and to circumvent sanctions
Total number:
99
Individuals
Updated: 11.11.2024
The participation of russian athletes in international competitions is a means of whitewashing russia`s reputation (sportwashing), spreading disinformation, justifying and legitimizing aggression against Ukraine among foreign audiences and demonstrating russia`s continued presence in the civilized world
Russian officials in international sports committees and federations remain a russian lobby and an element of strategic influence outside russia, providing ways to establish international relations and cooperation bypassing sanctions
What needs to be done:
  • suspend russian athletes from international competitions
  • exclude russian sports officials from international organizations
Sport should symbolize peace again
 
 
ISINBAEVA Olena Gadzhievna
ISINBAEVA Olena Gadzhievna
Two-time Olympic champion in pole vault, Honored master of sports of russia, European champion, Three-time world outdoor champion, Four-time world indoor champion, President of the Elena Isinbayeva Charitable Foundation, Member of the General Council of the All-russian Children's and Youth Military and Patriotic Public Movement "Yunarmiya", Athletics instructor at CSKA Moscow, Member of the International Olympic Committee (until August 2024)
She is known as a supporter and confidant of putin in the elections in 2012 and 2018. In 2020, she joined the working group for the development of amendments to the Constitution of the russian federation, which allowed putin to be re-elected for two more terms in 2024 and 2030.
She is a member of the public movement "putin's Team". Until July 2023 it was part of the Central Headquarters of the all-russian public and political movement "People's Front "For russia" (under the sanctions of the EU, Canada, Switzerland and Ukraine), created at the initiative of putin with the aim of "promoting russia forward with joint efforts".
In 2015, she received the military rank of major, the epaulettes were presented to her personally by the Minister of Defense of russia Serhiy Shoigu.
He is a member of the board of the "Resurrection" charity fund, founded together with the public organization of veterans of the russian Armed Forces, which fundraised for the construction of the main temple of the russian Armed Forces in the military-patriotic park of culture and recreation "Patriot".
Lives in Spain and owns real estate worth about three million dollars on the island of Tenerife.
She is the owner of the sports products brand ISNBAEVA and co-owner of the Swiss company for the sale of tobacco products and luxury alcohol Luxury Legends Sagl.
KABAEVA Alina Maratovna
KABAEVA Alina Maratovna
Russian gymnast, Honored Master of Sports of russia, Public and political figure, Two-time absolute world champion, five-time absolute European champion, Olympic champion, six-time absolute champion of russia., Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the russian federation of the 5th and 6th convocations, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Media Group holding company, Head of the Board of Directors of Sport-Express CJSC, President of the International Association of Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs "Heavenly Grace"
She has personal ties to putin, is a member of his inner circle and is considered the mother of his two children.
She supported the annexation of Crimea and russia's war against Ukraine, spreading Kremlin propaganda narratives and symbols of the so-called "SMO". She is the head of the largest russian media conglomerate, National Media Group, which holds leading positions in terms of the share of TV audience of broadcast and pay TV channels.
She organizes and participates in international sports promotional events.
She has repeatedly visited the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Publicly criticizes the decision to ban russian athletes from international competitions.
In 2023, the Heavenly Grace International Association of Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs, headed by Kabaeva, held an annual international tournament with 46 athletes from 19 countries in Beijing (China). The association's athletes also take part in the annual international competition "Ojag Cup" in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Heads the Alina Kabayeva Charitable Foundation, whose projects include the annual Alina Festival and International Rhythmic Gymnastics Tournament. In 2023, the festival was held in Sochi (russia) with the participation of gymnasts from Belarus, Kazakhstan, China, Cuba and Uzbekistan. In addition, the Foundation, under the leadership of Kabayeva, financed the restoration of the medieval Church of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica in the temporarily occupied Feodosia (Crimea).
Also in 2023, Kabaeva supported the international rhythmic gymnastics competition "Grand Prix. Alina Kabayeva Gazprom Champions Cup" was held with the participation of athletes from Belarus, China, Israel, Armenia, Moldova, Kazakhstan, Montenegro, Kyrgyzstan, Korea, the UAE, Azerbaijan, Syria, and Slovakia.
MONSON Jeffrey William
MONSON Jeffrey William
American and russian athlete and actor, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion, Deputy of the Krasnogorsk City District Council from the United russia party, Deputy of the State Assembly - Kurultai of the Republic of Bashkortostan of the seventh convocation, First Vice President of the Wrestling Federation of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Coach of HC "Granit-Chekhov"
He actively supports russia's war against Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, spreading the Kremlin's propaganda narratives. In his public statements, he condemns the US assistance to Ukraine, which is why he changed his citizenship to russian. In addition, declared his readiness to personally fight against Ukraine.
In 2016, he received the citizenship of the so-called "LPR". He systematically visits the so-called "DPR/LPR", provides them with financial support, and calls on everyone to participate in fundraising to "help victims of the war in eastern Ukraine". He was awarded the medal of the so-called "Ministry of Internal Affairs of the LPR" "For Assistance to the Internal Affairs Bodies".
In 2022, together with russia Today, he made a "8 Years Before" documentary about Donbas, and explained that he decided to create this film because he was "offended to see the wrong history of the conflict in the Western media."
In February 2023, he got a symbolic tattoo of the letter "Z" in support of the so-called "SMO".
In 2023, together with the State Duma deputy Alexander Valuev, he announced the filming of a joint documentary on the same topic called "Just Life".
He is one of the key figures in the putin's Team public movement and a member of the all-russian public and political movement People's Front for russia (under sanctions from the EU, Canada, Switzerland and Ukraine), created at putin's initiative to "move russia forward through joint efforts."
GABBASOV Ramil Gabdraufovich
GABBASOV Ramil Gabdraufovich
Soviet karate practitioner, President of the International Public Organization "International Federation of All-Style Karate", President of the All-Russian Public Sports Organization "Russian Federation of All-Style Karate"., President of the "Our Fatherland" Foundation for the Development of Citizens' Patriotism
Participant in russia's war against Ukraine, commander of the Soyuz squad created in December 2022 by Sergei Kirienko and Yuri Trutnev on the basis of the russian Union of Martial Arts (RSBI) from professional athletes. As of December 2023, 145 people have joined the squad.
The fighters were trained and harmonized at the russian Special Forces University in Chechnya. Its founder, Daniil Martynov, an aide to Ramzan Kadyrov, is co-chairman of the RSBI. Kirienko, together with co-founder Yuri Trutnev, is personally responsible for providing and personally visiting Donbass to transfer equipment - drone detection equipment, equipment and outfit, sniper rifles - to the Soyuz detachment.
During the war, the RSBI made purchases from the Moscow arms showroom Arsenal for 139 million rubles, and from the rifle manufacturer Lobaev Arms for 35 million rubles. The RSBI bought optical equipment from the companies Innovative Weapon Technologies (for 19 million rubles) and Navigator (25 million rubles). The russian University of Special Forces in Chechnya received 38 million rubles from the RSBI for training volunteers.
The charitable foundation "Our Fatherland" under Gabbasov's leadership systematically organizes and conducts fundraisers for the needs of servicemen of the russian armed forces, is engaged in socialization and employment of the so-called "veterans of the SMO" and patriotic education of young people, establishes schools for piloting and assembling UAVs.
He was included in the list of putin's proxies for the presidential election in 2024.
Visited the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
TARPISHCHEV Shamil Anvyarovich
TARPISHCHEV Shamil Anvyarovich
Soviet and russian sports functionary, Member of the International Olympic Committee, Member of the Executive Committee of the russian Olympic Committee, Member of the Presidential Council on Physical Culture and Sport, Chairman of the Commission for the elaboration of priority areas of state policy in the field of physical culture and sport, as well as the strategy for the development of sport in russia, Advisor to the Mayor of Moscow on sports, President of the russian Tennis Federation, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the VTB Kremlin Cup international tennis tournament, Master of sports in tennis, Honored coach of the RSFSR and the USSR
He is a member of the commission advising the IOC session and president on strengthening the role of sport and Olympism in society.
Publicly emphasizes the formality of the neutral status of russian athletes at international tournaments, in which athletes of the russian Tennis Federation under his control continue to actively participate.
He lobbied for the admission of russian juniors to participate in the international tennis tournament at Wimbledon (Great Britain) in 2023 and the participation of russian tennis players in the Olympic Games in Paris (France) in 2024.
In 2022, by putin's decree, he was awarded the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree for ensuring successful training of athletes who achieved high sports achievements at the Games of the XXXII Olympiad and the XVI Paralympic Summer Games in Tokyo (Japan) in 2020.
In 2023, he received a personal birthday greeting from putin.
War & Sanctions 2024