"The right decision"; "Politics ruling sports ": Fans react to Abdulrashid Sadulaev's exclusion from Olympic qualifiers over Russia-Ukraine war views

Fans recently reacted to wrestler Abdulrashid Sadulaev's dismissal from the Olympic qualifiers over his alleged support for the Russian-Ukraine war.

Sadulaev was declared ineligible by United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body of amateur wrestling, citing his supposed backing of the Russia-Ukraine war. The Russian-born wrestler is barred from competing at the upcoming Olympic qualifiers slated from Friday, April 5 to 7, 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

After the International Olympic Committee suspended Russia from competing at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the 27-year-old athlete intended to compete in the world's greatest sporting event as a neutral athlete in the 97kg wrestling event.

Sadulaev was announced ineligible after the IOC panel found information about his support for the Russia-Ukraine war and his continued membership with the Dynamo Club — a sports club linked with the Russian leadership.

With the Paris Olympics drawing near and the four-time world champion's dismissal, some fans took to social media to express their disapproval of the decision. One of the fans stated their dissent, citing the difference between politics and sports.

"Politics are ruling sports now."

A fan backed the wrestler and voiced their opinion, stating the sport needs organizations that focus entirely on athlete's performance rather than their views and beliefs.

"This is wrong and infuriating. We need sports organizations that are only concerned with sports and are not trying to dictate how athletes live their live and what they should believe."

While a few fans stated their resentment over the wrestler's exclusion, others lauded the UWW for the decision, as one of them referred to it as the "right decision" and anticipated the ban on other neutral athletes.

"The right decision finally. Waiting for the rest of "neutrals" to be banned."

Here are a few more reactions from the fans backing the organization's decision:

"Very good. Now ban the rest of them", one user wrote.

"Way to go. More to come, hopefully," wrote another fan.

"Excellent, although this should not be down to individual rules. No russian citizen should be allowed to compete, all russian athletes have ties to their genocidal military and are used by their propaganda. Want to participate in #ParisOlympics? Stop massacring neighbours," expressed another user.

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Abdulrashid Sadulaev loses the opportunity to vie for his third consecutive Olympic gold medal

Abdulrashid Sadulaev poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's Freestyle 86kg Wrestling at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abdulrashid Sadulaev has secured two consecutive Olympic gold medals so far in his career. At the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he defeated Selim Yasar of Turkey in the 86kg category to clinch his first Olympic gold medal.

Five years later, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan (held in 2021), he represented the Russian Olympic Committee. The four-time European champion defended his title by overpowering United States' Kyle Snyder in the 97kg weight category.

The four-time world champion (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) was poised as a formidable contender for the 2024 Olympics in the French capital before his ban. He boasts an incredible 154-3 freestyle wrestling record and was bestowed with the Order of Honour by the Russian government in September 2021.