Steve Brown BANS all Russian yoyoers from competing in ALL IYYF COMPETITIONS
This is super serious... having someone injecting their own political beliefs into our community (whether you agree or disagree). My very talented Russian yoyo friends are speechless and completely distraught. Some of the best yoyo players on earth live in Russia...
This is super important information to the community, and moderators should not delete this post just because they agree with Steve Brown.
Commanding Russian yoyoers to "compete under no flag, or be banned from contests" like they have anything to do with geopolitics is disgusting and wrong.
I want this post to remain up, so I wont bring up what OTHER group the IOC bans from competing(International Olympic Committee) - but do your own research.
My entire family migrated from Ukraine to America and I am legitimately speechless that Steve Brown is banning Russians from competing for their country and will not recognize champions, seeds, or really anything that matter as long its from a Russian player.
This community needs to be about unity. Steve Brown is on a political power trip here.
EDIT:
I would like to add: although many comfy Americans here are quick to say "Just don't compete under the flag! They aren't banned"; I have spoken to a handful of yoyo players in RU, and seen the things the are posting on VK/FB/IG. This is an outright ban for them, they refuse to hide the fact that they are Russian on the world stage. They cannot compete because they refuse to denounce the flag of their country. In their perspective unless they change their political beliefs and denounce their own homeland they are essentially banned.