Disqualification Sparks Global Attention: A Bold Statement for Ukraine
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Recently, Lithuanian athlete Körnelija Düdaitė was disqualified from the Functional Sports World Championships in Budapest for wearing a bold “Make russia Small Again” T-shirt.
Following her disqualification, the Lithuanian team, consisting of 34 participants, decided to withdraw from the championship in solidarity with Düdaitė.
During the event, Düdaitė noticed a large team of russian representatives among the 800 athletes, officially competing under a neutral flag but visibly displaying russian symbols, undermining neutrality rules.
K. Düdaitė appeared in the hall with a Ukrainian flag and wearing the “Make russia Small Again” T-shirt. Then, “six security officers” approached her and asked her to change her T-shirt immediately. Kornelija Düdaitė refused and walked outside.
“They said my presence was offensive to russians. I hope Ukraine wins and truly offends them,” Dūdaitė wrote about the incident on social media.
Why the “Make russia Small Again” T-shirt?
The phrase gained prominence after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared on television wearing a shirt with the same caption during one of his daily addresses a month earlier.
Reflecting on the incident, Düdaitė explained:
“We found out a month ago that russian representatives would participate under neutral status, but given Hungary’s pro-russian stance, I doubted this would be enforced. That’s why I brought a Ukraine-supporting T-shirt, inspired by President Zelensky.
When we arrived, an organizer posted a message openly celebrating the russian team, with a flag and phrases like ‘full force,’ which felt especially inappropriate during wartime. I questioned this in the comments, but my posts were deleted. Despite these concerns, our federation chose to compete. Yet, the condition that russia would compete as a neutral state was disregarded from the start.
More importantly, Ukraine is not present at this championship. It has no chance because a country at war does not have a federation to send its athletes.”
In May 2024, Matvii Bidnyi, the Head of Ukraine’s Ministry of Youth and Sports, reported that over 450 Ukrainian athleteshad been killed since the start of russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“Fight for your beliefs, as Ukraine fights for its freedom,” Körnelija mentioned on her Instagram account.
Shortly afterward, the International Functional Fitness Federation stated that it was “saddened to learn of the withdrawal of Team Lithuania from the iF3 World Championships.”
Where to Get Your “Make russia Small Again” Gear
Want to wear your support for Ukraine? We’ve partnered with the Center for Combating Corruption and the International Centre for Ukrainian Victory — the creators of this statement tee — and are proud to serve as the official source for this advocacy clothing in the United States, Canada, and Ukraine.
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