Colorado State University is apologizing after some of its student spectators led a pro-Russia chant to a Ukrainian student-athlete on the opposing team at a Saturday night basketball game.
civil servants he said in a tweet they learned after the game “that a small group of people in our student section chanted ‘Russia’ to a student-athlete from Utah State, who is from the Ukraine.”
“On behalf of the State of Colorado, we apologize to the student-athlete and the State of Utah,” the school said in a follow-up tweet.
“All participants, students, and fans should feel welcome at our venues, and for something like this to occur is unacceptable in the state of Colorado,” the tweet thread said. concluded.
Colorado state representatives did not immediately respond to a question about whether the students who took part in the chant had been identified or penalized.
While the university did not name the student who was attacked, Salt Lake City’s NBC affiliate KSL reported that Utah State youth guard Max Shulga was the target of the chant, which occurred while attempting free throws near the end of the game.
Shulga was born in the Ukrainian capital, kyiv, and attended high school in Spain, according to his official biography.
KSL reported last year that Shulga’s family still resides in kyiv, and that he covered with a Ukrainian flag at the beginning of the first game after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Utah State students also He held yellow and blue papers.which resembles the Ukrainian flag, in that game to show support for Shulga.
The year-long war has resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and soldiers, as well as Russian troops committing acts of sexual violence and torture against women and children in Ukraine, as well as other war crimes. According to a United Nations investigation.
Utah state representatives did not immediately respond to emailed questions about the incident.
The Utah Aggies won the game on saturday night against the Colorado Rams 88-79.
