The “Friendship Games” will rival the Olympic Games and Russian organizers are also planning a winter edition
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday accused Russia of “politicizing sport” by launching its so-called Friendship Games from next September.
The new event will compete with the Olympic Games and Russian organizers are also planning a winter edition.
The IOC, which authorized the participation of Russian athletes in this year’s Paris Olympic Games only under a neutral banner and on the condition that they do not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, called on the sporting world and the governments invited by Moscow “to reject any participation and any support for this event,” he said in a statement.
Announced several months ago, the first edition of the Summer Friendship Games “should be held in Moscow and Yekaterinburg” next September, indicated the IOC, with the first winter edition to take place in 2026 in Sochi, venue for the highly controversial 2014 Games. Winter Olympics.
These two initiatives are in addition to the recent Future Games in Kazan, which combined traditional disciplines and e-sport, and the BRICS Games which are taking place in the same city in June.
Russian authorities say that “athletes from more than 50 countries” will participate in the latter.
The IOC does not blame the Russians for creating multi-sport competitions outside its aegis since several already exist, including the Commonwealth Games and the Francophonie Games, but for doing so via a “very intensive diplomatic offensive” via direct contacts with governments around the world. the world.
“To make their purely political motivation even more obvious, they deliberately bypass the sports organizations of the target countries,” the IOC press release said.
“This is both a blatant violation of the Olympic Charter and a violation of various UN resolutions.
“This is a cynical attempt by the Russian Federation to politicize sport. »
The IOC also accused Moscow of “complete lack of respect for global anti-doping standards and the integrity of competitions”, citing concerns expressed last week by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in light of institutionalized doping at the Olympic Games. Sochi 10. years ago.
“This position is reinforced by the fact that the Russian National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) currently does not comply with the code, that there are currently no WADA-accredited laboratories in Russia and that the overall confidence in the anti-doping system in Russia remains weak. “, declared the IOC.
Ukraine’s sports ministry issued a statement welcoming the IOC’s “fair stance” but urging the Olympic body to take decisive action against Russian and Belarusian athletes now.
“We call for the exclusion of athletes with Russian or Belarusian nationality from participation in any international competition, including the Olympic Games, regardless of their status,” reads the statement signed by the Ukrainian Minister of Sports. acting, Matvii Bidnyi.
“We consider it unacceptable that the Russian Federation organizes the so-called ‘Friendship Games’ and presents this propaganda event as an ‘alternative to the Olympic Games’. There is no alternative to the Olympic Games.
