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What a Great Game

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What a Great Game
Iryna Khalip

Sports, you say, are out of politics?

Today Aliaksandr Venherski drives in Europe to earn five thousand euros. He must pay out this sum to BATE football club which was fined by the UEFA. It is the cost of a short run (plus 10 days of arrest) with a white-red-white flang on a football field. Venherski did not wait for court decision, and left to earn money. He is long-distance lorry driver. The job is hard and well-paid. He says he can save this money within six months.

It may seem that happy end is about to come, but there are disgusting moments in this story. The main thing is the position of the football club. When BATE appealed to court, it explained that football players wanted to spend the won five-thousand-dollar payout against the fan with the flag on charity. And the very sense of the court hearing is to show other fans that rules must be obeyed; there are legal methods to resist fans who do not respect them, and any other violator will be punished. That is, the football club has reached the top of moral superiority: we will not take money, but notably denude money and give it to an orphanage. Well, it's really easy to engage in charity at the expense of others. To give not yours money. To win the amount equaled to the eighteen-months salary of an average Belarusian. And at the same time give a piece of advice: this is what everyone faces, if the rules are violated.

Well, it's bad to violate rules. But there is a good and decent way out: a symbolic lawsuit of one ruble/kopeck/dollar/or even euro. And then the plaintiff remains in white regardless the court's decision. After all, he does not aims to enslave the defendant for several years. It just takes the moral high ground. And the sum of such a lawsuit immediately inspires with respect. It is clear that a person, or a football club, or an oil company, or a rock band just defends his rightness. Five thousand euros - including the UEFA fine - is already self-interest of the plaintiff, which immediately arises sympathy for the defendant.

Venherski, of course, whitewashed all these football players. He's found a job as long-distance lorry driver to earn €5 thousand and to give it to an orphanage. But he clearly understands that bailiffs will still come. And he understands that all the same this money will be collected - either by confiscation of property or by deductions from the salary. And he's ready for it. Most expensive is the dearest, it happens. But the moment with the waving flag in front of a great number of people was worth it. Fair play.

Everything's clear with BATE. but one more thing to be extremely unpleasant. This is a condemnation of Venherski's deed by those who stood for the abolition of the IIHF in 2014 in Minsk. Then they talked about the inadmissibility of the championship in the country with political prisoners. Now they condemn a person who unfurled our national flag on the football field for a few seconds. Sports, they say, are out of politics. Where did they find this phrase? This is the most disgusting thing that can be heard in our country. Oh, only if "art is out of politics" can provide a tough competition.

Sports, you say, are out of politics? Tell it the North Korean sportsmen, their participation in the Winter Olympics was negotiated at the highest level between the two Koreas. Or Soviet and American sportsmen of the eighties, who ignored Los Angeles and Moscow, because of the mutual boycott of the Olympics by their countries. Or Swedish human rights defender Martin Ugla, who was not allowed to Belarus with a ticket for the match of the Ice Hockey World Championship. Or Vital Hurkou. Minsk state TV channels turned off cameras, so that his famous mouthguard with Pahonia was not seen on TV. Sports are out of politics, yep. There was the film of the thirties about it. "Triumph of the Will". Directed by Leni Riefenstahl.

I'm convinced that everything will be fine with Aliaksandr Venherski. He will earn money and help the orphanage. And he will unfurl the flag again in the most unexpected place. And, after a while, he will freely walk with this flag, because actions are not needed any longer: such flags will be waving on facades of every state building.

Well, hold the wheel tight, driver!

Iryna Khalip specially for Charter97.org

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