President Putin Sets Deadline for Prime Minister to Arrange World Friendship Games Following Paris 2024 Olympics
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Loading... - Jake Martin
- 19 May 2023
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has formally suggested to his Government that they coordinate the "World Friendship Games" shortly after the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Olympics. These Games would mark the inaugural BRICS Games, involving the association comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
As per the Kremlin, Putin has given Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin until July 1 to make the necessary preparations. The proposal is expected to be addressed at the BRICS Summit scheduled for August in Johannesburg, where the Russian leader might be present.
In early May, Putin accused international sports officials of "undermining the international Olympic Movement," emphasizing that sports should act as a bridge between nations and peoples, especially during times of conflicts.
The initiative originates from Oleg Matytsin, the Russian Minister of Sports, who also proposed hosting the inaugural Games of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in March. The SCO includes countries such as China, India, Pakistan, and the Central Asian Republics.
Matytsin stated, "Our shared mission is to ensure that athletes and major international competitions are not subjected to political maneuvering. This can only be achieved through equal rights and respect for all participants."
In March, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) stated that it had yet to make a definitive decision on the eligibility of Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in Paris 2024 under any circumstances. The IOC also declared that teams and athletes supporting wars or affiliated with armed forces or security organizations would be ineligible to compete.
According to Matytsin, even if Russian athletes are allowed to compete as "neutral" individuals, the maximum number of participants from the Russian side will be approximately 180 athletes.
Following the discussions in early May, Matytsin, quoted on the Kremlin's official website, expressed, "We propose intensifying the practice of holding competitions in an open format, inviting partner countries. We are committed to fulfilling your [Putin's] instruction to organize the World Friendship Games in the autumn of 2024. It is necessary to utilize the resources of both Russian and international public and state organizations to ensure the successful organization of these Games, which should become a regular occurrence in the future."
Among those involved in organizing the event is Alexey Sorokin, the former CEO of the Organizing Committee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia.
It is worth noting that a multi-sport event called the Friendship Games took place in the Soviet Union and its eight allies in 1984. This event was widely viewed as an alternative to the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics due to the Moscow-led boycott, which was a response to the American-led boycott of Moscow 1980.
