Going through a Russia-organized potential rival to the Olympics, the Worldwide Olympic Committee urged sports activities and political leaders on Tuesday not to participate within the Friendship Video games resulting from launch weeks after the Summer season Video games in Paris.
The Worldwide Olympic Committee denounced diplomatic strikes to advertise the inaugural occasion in September as “a cynical try by the Russian Federation” to convey politics into sports activities.
“The IOC strongly urges all stakeholders of the Olympic motion and all governments to reject any participation in, and assist of, any initiative that intends to completely politicize worldwide sport,” it mentioned in an announcement printed throughout a gathering of its government board chaired by IOC president Thomas Bach.
Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed final yr to begin organizing summer season and winter occasions underneath the banner of the Friendship Video games, paying tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in prize cash.
The Video games intention to counter the nation’s growing isolation in worldwide sports activities, and rising tensions with the IOC and Bach, for the reason that navy invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
On the United Nations in New York 4 months in the past, Russian diplomat Maria Zabolotskaya used a debate on an Olympic truce for Paris to ask the world to the Friendship Video games, citing her nation’s assist for “trustworthy and truthful competitions.”
The primary Video games are scheduled in Moscow and Yekaterinburg in September, with a prize fund reported by Russia media totaling 4.6 billion rubles ($50 million US).
The Friendship Video games intention to launch inside weeks of the Aug. 11 closing ceremony on the Paris Olympics, the place the IOC doesn’t pay prize cash for medals.
Russia is excluded from all group sports activities on the Olympics and particular person athletes should move two layers of vetting — by their sport’s governing physique and the IOC — to get impartial standing to compete with out their nationwide symbols of flag, anthem and uniforms in purple, white and blue.
Sports activities officers have mentioned in personal conversations the contingent of Russian athletes competing as neutrals in Paris may vary from about 25 to 50.
One reported purpose of the Friendship Video games has been to create worldwide competitions for Russian athletes and groups whose careers have stalled in the course of the warfare in Ukraine.
It’s unclear which nations have dedicated to sending groups to Russia in September and if sports activities officers are concerned within the course of.
The IOC warned on Tuesday of athletes exterior “being compelled by their governments into collaborating, thereby being exploited as a part of a political propaganda marketing campaign.”
