Minister of Sports Matytsin proposed to hold the BRICS Games in Russia – Kommersant

Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, during a meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with members of the government, proposed holding the BRICS Sports Games in 2024 in Russia. According to him, this is especially true in terms of cooperation with associations of states that have not joined the anti-Russian sanctions.

“We propose to intensify the practice of holding competitions in an open format. In 2024, as part of the Russian chairmanship of the BRICS association, we propose to hold the BRICS Games in an open format in our country. We consider this to be especially relevant, given the prospect of expanding the BRICS,” the minister explained during the meeting. According to decree Vladimir Putin, the BRICS summit in 2024 under the chairmanship of Russia will be held in Kazan.

Oleg Matytsin added that Russia is preparing to host the Friendship Games in 2024 – international competitions in swimming, synchronized swimming and diving under the auspices of the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. The last time they were held in 2022 in Kazan with the participation of athletes from 22 countries. In August 2023, the International University Sports Festival is planned in Yekaterinburg with the participation of teams from the BRICS, SCO and CIS countries.

South Africa will chair the BRICS in 2023. The program of the BRICS Games includes ten sports. In 2022, competitions were held from September 1 to September 30 in an online format in three main areas: breakdance, chess and wushu.

In 2022, Russia was banned from several international competitions. March 28, 2023 International Olympic Committee recommended to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in international competitions in a neutral status, provided that they do not support the Russian special military operation (the recommendation does not apply to the 2024 Olympic Games).

Lusine Balasyan