Sport is no longer insulated from geopolitics, but every qualified athlete must get to compete 

Organised sports usually follow a kind of polite code. People call it sportsmanship.

Players shake hands, line up after matches, clap for opponents, accept referees’ decisions, wear uniforms, and follow rules. These traditions are meant to show how people should live together: not by acting on anger, but by following shared rules and respect.

In tennis, players shake hands at the net after a match. The net separates them during the game, but at the end, it becomes the place where they meet.

But last week, after Russia’s Mirra Andreeva beat Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 6-3 in the French Open semifinal, Kostyuk refused to shake hands with Andreeva.

This was not really surprising. As wars and political conflicts affect sports more and more, the old habit of polite gestures is being replaced by something else. Some people call it honesty, or “being real.”

Indian cricketer Suryakumar Yadav said something similar after a no-handshake controversy during the Asia Cup against Pakistan. He said some things in life are more important than sportsmanship.

But there is an important difference. Sometimes players choose not to shake hands because of their own feelings. Other times, governments force players to act a certain way.

For example, Iranian judokas and wrestlers have sometimes been made to lose on purpose rather than compete against Israeli opponents. This is done to avoid the possibility of a handshake or public contact. Some Iranian athletes have left the country, showing they are unhappy with such rules.

Now football is also being affected. The World Cup is happening under the shadow of the February 28 war. Iran’s team has had to move its training camp from Tuscany to Tijuana. Its players face strict US visa rules and less coaching support, while bombs still threaten their homes.

Politics and war are entering the world of sports. We can no longer pretend that sports are completely separate from politics.

But one rule should still remain: anyone who qualifies for a competition should be allowed to take part.

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