Champions of terror

Russia uses sport as a tool of propaganda and to circumvent sanctions
Total number:
148
Individuals
Updated: 03.04.2025
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
 
 
Total: 148
LALAKIN Sergey Nikolayevich
LALAKIN Sergey Nikolayevich
Member of the Supervisory Board of the Union of Paratroopers of russia, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Heritage Charitable Foundation, President of the Podolsk Sports Complex "Vityaz", Co-founder of the Vityaz hockey club, Chairman of the Supreme Board of Trustees (Supervisory Board) of the All-russian Federation of Sports for People with Musculoskeletal Disorders of the russian Paralympic Committee
Russian businessman and sports figure. Former founder and leader of the so-called Podolsk organized criminal group known as Luchok. A former paratrooper with the rank of senior sergeant.
He has close ties with government officials, functionaries and law enforcement officials in Moscow region. In particular, the co-founder of the Vityaz sports club network is Lalakin's accomplice in the Podolsk OCG, and now a member of the State Duma and Vice President of the russian Paralympic Committee, Chairman of the Board of the All-russian Federation of Sports for People with Musculoskeletal Disorders and a member of the Executive Committee of the russian Hockey Federation, Boris Ivanyuzhenkov.
The Heritage Charitable Foundation, controlled by Lalakin, provides humanitarian aid to the so-called "members of the SMO."
The Vityaz football club, which Lalakin oversees, holds friendly matches with schoolchildren from the temporarily occupied Donetsk as part of the Children of russia for Children of Donbas project, and in March 2022 held a campaign in support of the russian army called "Zа правду #своихнебросаем" ("For the Truth #We Don't Abandon Our Own)".
Other sports organizations controlled by Lalakin include the Podolsk Tennis Academy.
Lalakin has received a number of state awards, including the medal of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, second class, the Order of Friendship, the medal for Loyalty to Duty and the Fatherland, the honorary badges for the Revival of russia, highest, first and second class, the Order of the Presidential Star, letters of commendation and certificates from putin, and has been awarded the personalized watch of the russian president, the orders of General of the Army Margelov and Loyalty to the Paratrooper Brotherhood.
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KHALILI/GOREEVA Anastasia Alekseevna
KHALILI/GOREEVA Anastasia Alekseevna
Russian biathlete, Two-time world champion, European champion among juniors, International master of sports of russia
Member of the russian national biathlon team.
Participant of the International League of Club Biathlon, an international biathlon tournament founded by the Belarusian Biathlon Club and the Regional Biathlon Club of the Moscow region against the background of the suspension of russian biathletes from international competitions in 2023.
He is a participant in the international sports and entertainment show "Games Without Borders" on the russian TV channel TNT, produced by kremlin propagandist Tina Kandelaki. The show features athletes from russia and eight countries, including Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Brazil, the United States, China, India and Iran.
Represented by the Central Sports Club of the russian Army (CSKA), subordinate to the Ministry of Defense of the russian federation.
CSKA on a permanent basis provides active assistance to the military and veterans of the so-called "SMO" by purchasing and delivering to the front special equipment, FPV-drones, generators and humanitarian cargoes, carries out military-patriotic education of children and youth, organizes and conducts sports-patriotic events and promotes international cooperation, in particular, within the framework of the World Military Games project.
Thus, CSKA athletes at international competitions actually represent the armed forces of the aggressor state.
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EVLOEV Musa Gilaniyevich
EVLOEV Musa Gilaniyevich
Russian Greco-Roman wrestler, Olympic champion, Two-time world champion, Two-time European champion, Russian champion, Honored master of sports of russia
Participant of the 2024 BRICS Sports Games in Kazan (russia).
He holds the rank of senior lieutenant, which was awarded to him ahead of schedule by the Minister of Defense of the russian federation Sergey Shoigu in 2021.
He represents the Central Sports Club of the russian Army (CSKA), which is subordinated to the Ministry of Defense.
CSKA provides active assistance to the military and veterans of the so-called "SMO" by purchasing and delivering special equipment, FPV drones, generators and humanitarian supplies to the frontline, conducts military-patriotic education of children and youth, organizes and conducts sports and patriotic events and promotes international cooperation, in particular within the framework of the World War Games project.
Thus, CSKA athletes at international competitions actually represent the armed forces of the aggressor state.
He took part in a propaganda concert and rally at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on March 18, 2022, dedicated to the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea.
In 2021, he received a personal congratulation from putin on his victory at the at the 2020 Olympic Games, and on September 13, 2021, he was personally awarded the Order of Friendship by putin.
In the context of the exclusion of russian athletes from the 2024 Olympic Games, he said that without russians, the Olympics are incomplete Games.
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