Russia not isolating itself – sports minister
Russia will not isolate itself in the face of sporting bans and will continue to develop cooperation with partners in the BRICS and SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) groups of nations, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has said.
Speaking at a forum titled ‘Sport in the Far East: Creating New Opportunities’ at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday, Matytsin discussed the sporting landscape which has seen Russian athletes banned by numerous federations following an International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommendation in February.
“We’ve invited our colleagues from the BRICS and SCO countries here and are negotiating with them to hold competitions and bilateral meetings,” Matytsin said, according to TASS.
“It is necessary to use all formats for the participation of our athletes and adhere to the basic Olympic principles.
“We are not isolated. The position of our president is that we are a self-sufficient sports nation, we have huge resources.”
Matytsin – as with several other Russian officials in recent months – talked up increased cooperation in sporting terms with friendly nations such as China, India, and others.
“For the first time in 30 years, we’ve restored the sports and athletics movement, and a very important incentive for the development and popularization of this system is the creation of a competitive environment,” said Matytsin.
“The government has decided to provide material incentives not only for athletes, but also for coaches.
“I think the president will support the idea of additional benefits for participation and victory in these [new] competitions,” the sports minister added.
Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that President Vladimir Putin had stressed the need for new competitions as a counterweight to international bans, but that Russia would continue to fight for its athletes’ rights to appear at global tournaments.
“The president has emphasized the need to introduce a whole system of domestic competitions, expanded competitions with the participation of other, friendly countries,” Peskov said.
The ongoing annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok is aimed at fostering closer ties in the region and is being held for the seventh time.
