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Sports, Cultural Losses Mount For Russia As Countries Reject World Cup Qualifiers, Bolshoi Ballet

By RFE/RL February 26, 2022

Russia has taken further hits on the sporting and cultural front as Poland, Sweden, and the Czech Republic said they would not play World Cup soccer qualifiers against Russia next month and London's Royal Opera House canceled performances by the famed Bolshoi Ballet.

The moves announced on February 26 follow decisions by Formula One to pull its race from Russia and European football's Champions League to move its May 28 final to Paris from St. Petersburg because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The World Cup matches scheduled for March are set fill a spot for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

"In light of the escalation of the Russian Federation's aggression against Ukraine, the Polish national team is not going to play a match against the Russian team," Poland's Football Association chief Cezary Kulesza wrote on Twitter.

Karl-Erik Nilsson, the Swedish federation's chairman, said that "the illegal and deeply unjust invasion of Ukraine currently makes all football fixtures with Russia impossible."

The winner of a match between Poland and Russia is due to host Sweden or the Czech Republic on March 29 for a place at the World Cup, which will run November 21 to December 18. International soccer officials did not immediately comment on how any cancellations would be handled.

Meanwhle, London's Royal Opera House said it was cancelling a season of performances by Moscow's famed Bolshoi Ballet amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"A summer season of the Bolshoi Ballet at the Royal Opera House had been in the final stages of planning," it said.

"Unfortunately, under the current circumstances, the season cannot now go ahead," the opera house said.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-world-cup- bolshoi-ballet/31725216.html

Copyright (c) 2022. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.