**Lithuanian Athlete Disqualified for Anti–War T-Shirt**
The Fitness World Championship in Budapest has kicked out Lithuanian athlete Kornelija Dudaitė. She wore a t-shirt with the slogan “Make Russia Small Again” to show her support for Ukraine.
Ukraine is fighting against Russian invasion. The war has hurt Ukrainian sports badly. The Ministry of Youth and Sports says that at least 487 athletes and coaches have been killed, and over 500 sports facilities have been destroyed.
Other athletes from Russia were allowed to compete under a neutral flag in Budapest. But when the announcer mentioned their country’s name, they wore t-shirts with “Russia” on them. Dudaitė protested by wearing her own t-shirt and holding a Ukrainian flag.
When organizers asked her to take off the t-shirt, she refused. She said that Russia is occupying Ukraine and hurting its people. All 28 Lithuanian athletes then left the competition in solidarity with Dudaitė.
Dudaitė said on Instagram that she doesn’t regret her actions. She hopes that Ukraine will win and make Russia small again.
**More Than Just a Number**
Earlier, Olympic champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh called for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be banned from international sports competitions. She said that more than 500 Ukrainian athletes and coaches have been killed in the war.
These are not just numbers, but friends, colleagues, dreams, and futures lost. The war has also seen thousands of Ukrainian children kidnapped by occupiers.
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