Russia's sports minister has attacked politicians' demands to block athletes from the country competing at the Olympic Games in Paris next year.
Oleg Matytsin said it was "absolutely unacceptable" for governments to attempt to influence the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
His reaction on Saturday followed Lithuanian sports minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene announcing there was a "unanimous" view from a group of around 35 countries that athletes from Russia and Belarus should be banned from the Paris 2024 Games.
The stance comes amid the invasion of Ukraine, with ministers from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and Australia, reportedly opposing Russian and Belarusian athletes being allowed to take part, even under a neutral flag.
A virtual meeting of sports ministers, also attended by Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was held on Friday.
Zelenskyy said the presence of competitors from Russia "cannot be covered up with some pretended neutrality or a white flag", saying their presence would be a "manifestation of violence and lawlessness".
Matytsin told reporters, according to Russian news agency TASS, that other nations had no right to put pressure on Olympic chiefs.
He said: "This is a direct intervention of ministers in the activities of independent international sports organisations, an attempt to dictate the conditions for the participation of athletes in international competitions, which is absolutely unacceptable.
"Moreover, more than a month ago, the national Olympic committees of these countries supported the decision of the IOC on the participation of our athletes in competitions.
"These countries are putting pressure on the activities of independent public organisations, which they tried to accuse us of. Now we see an undisguised desire to destroy the unity of international sports and the international Olympic movement, to make sport a means of pressure in order to resolve political issues."
Matytsin said sport should instead be used "to be an ambassador of peace and build bridges between peoples".
Athletes from Ukraine have accused the IOC of "being on the wrong side of history" as Games organisers consider whether athletes from Russia and Belarus, which has supported Russian invasion efforts, should be able to take part in Paris.
IOC president Thomas Bach previously criticised Ukrainian calls for a boycott of the Olympics if Russians and Belarusians are allowed to take part.
In a statement issued in conjunction with union Global Athlete, Ukraine's Olympic committee said allowing Russia to compete would enable the country to "use the athletes to bolster the war effort and distract from the atrocities in Ukraine".
Cayon Rockets blank Old Road 3-0 to maintain lead atop SKNFA Premier League; Security Forces get rare win
Cayon Rockets maintained their position atop the St Kitts and Nevis Football Association Premier League following their 3-0 drubbing of MFCR Old Road United at Warner Park on Sunday.
Devontay Carty scored twice in the- 20th and 63rd minutes while Mervin Lewis sealed the victory with a third in the 68th.
Meanwhile, Bath United and Garden Hotspurs played to a 1-1 stalemate at the Nevis Athletics Stadium. Omarion Bartlette gave Bath the lead in the 13th minute. It was a lead they held until the 84th when Jeamaul Hodge pulled Hotspurs level to get a share of the points.
On Friday, a goal in each half led Security Forces to a 2-1 win over hosts Jones Group Sandy Point.
Everette Ritchen gave Security Forces the lead in the 30th minute. They held that lead until Zahmai Greene pulled Sandy Point level in the 65th minute. Parity didn’t last long as Donyelle Francis’ 70th minute goal gave Security Forces a rare win.
Meanwhile, Fast Cash Saddlers FC and St. Peters played to a nil-all draw, a result that Saddlers’ coach Samuel Phipps was happy to come away with.
“Picking up on point is good, we did not lose,” he said. “It was a fairly scrappy game but we came out with a point.”
St Peters’ boss Austin Huggins bemoaned his team’s missed chances.
“I think that we played well but too many chances went a begging,” he said. “We had chances to score, chances that I feel should have been goals, but we missed them; nevertheless, we’ve been able to get a point, looking forward to our next match.”
The weekend’s results, Cayon Rockets remain top of the table with 39 points after 16 matches while defending champions St. Paul’s United in second with 31 points, having played one game less. St Peters FC are third with 28 points with Old Road United Jets slipping to fourth with 27 points.
Village Superstars (24) and Conaree FC (24) are fifth and sixth, respectively. Newtown United has fallen to seventh on 23 points with Bath United just above the relegation playoff zone in eighth with 19 points.
Garden Hotspurs are in the relegation playoff spot with 16 points. The three regulation spots are occupied by Saddlers United, Security Forces, and Sandy Point FC with 12, nine, and two points, respectively.
French Open day nine: Iga Swiatek sets up Coco Gauff quarter-final
Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff will meet in a rematch of last year’s French Open final.
The pair both moved through to the quarter-finals, with Gauff beating Anna Karolina Schmiedlova and Swiatek leading 5-1 when Lesia Tsurenko retired through illness.
There will also be a rematch between Holger Rune and Casper Ruud, who engaged in a fiery battle in the last eight a year ago, while Alexander Zverev continued his strong form in the night session with victory over Grigor Dimitrov.
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Former top-10 player Carla Suarez Navarro announced the birth of twins.
Stat of the dayFallen seeds
Men: Francisco Cerundolo (23), Yoshihito Nishioka (27), Grigor Dimitrov (28)
Women: None
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Aryna Sabalenka takes on Elina Svitolina in the highest-profile clash between a Belarusian or Russian athlete and a Ukrainian since the war began.
The night session sees the biggest clash of the men’s tournament so far between top seed Carlos Alcaraz and former finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Novak Djokovic takes on Russian 11th seed Karen Khachanov while Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova meets Karolina Muchova in an all-unseeded match.
Watson undecided between 200m and 400m after clocking massive PB 44.75s at Racers Grand Prix
Despite dipping below the 45-second barrier for the first time in his career, Antonio Watson remains undecided about which event he will attempt at the upcoming National Trials in his effort to make Jamaica's team to the World Athletics Championships later this year.
In fact, Watson pointed out that the breath-taking performance at the Racers Grand Prix on Saturday, where he stopped the clock in a massive personal best of 44.75s to win the men’s 400 metres ‘B’ final, indicates one of two things –either he will be sticking with the one-lap event or is gradually rounding into form to produce something special in the 200m.
The former Petersfield High standout, whose previous 400m best was 45.78s, has already placed his 200m personal best of 20.52s, clocked almost three years ago, on notice with a season's best of 20.73s achieved in March.
"Time will tell. I am still young, and I still have a lot to learn in both events, so I am just working to be a better athlete," Watson said in a post-race interview at the National Stadium.
"People always say the one lap is my strong suit but I still have love for the 200m, so I am undecided at the moment. However, this 44.7 could mean one of two things, either I will be sticking to the 400m or just getting better for the 200m," he added.
The 21-year-old who is currently training at Racers Track Club, under the tutelage of decorated coach Glen Mills, says he has been training hard this season to deliver something special at the Racers Grand Prix, so it came as no surprise that a massive lifetime best was the end result.
He crossed the line ahead of Roshawn Clarke of Swept Track Club, who also clocked a lifetime best of 45.24s, while Assinie Wilson of Titans International Track Club also produced a PB of 45.51s for third.
Watson is one of only three Jamaican males to have dipped below the 45-second barrier so far this season.
Sean Bailey at 44.43s, which is the sixth fastest time so far this year, heads the pack with Zandrion Barnes, who also clocked a big personal best of 44.90s at the Racers Grand Prix, being the other.
"Coach told me that the field is good so I should just do what I have been doing throughout training and the time will come. The execution was properly done in my eyes, I just went out there and did what coach told me to.
"It's a great feeling to know that I am now among the top Jamaican athletes this year, so I just want to keep doing my thing," Watson noted.
Given his renewed mindset and obvious maturity, there is no denying that Watson, a former World Youth 400m champion and Youth Olympic 200m silver medallist, possesses enough ability to make the World Championships cut, regardless of which event he chooses.
"Time has changed and I have grown, I've been working hard, and I have been on a high from the season started, so it’s just about staying motivated as I go forward," he shared.
Still, execution on the day will determine whether or not he makes it to Budapest, Hungary for the August 19-27 World Championships and Watson is very much aware of that.
"National Trials is a part of the plan, so I just have to keep working and come out, match up to the field and do my best on the day. Time will tell (which event I will do or the end result) so I will just keep going one day at a time," Watson ended.
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