Just before the Olympics
Putin invites you to a major sporting event in Russia
08/24/2023, 7:30 p.m
It is still unclear whether Russian athletes will be allowed to take part in the Olympic Games in Paris. Irrespective of this, the country is organizing its own sporting event next summer on behalf of President Putin. However, the invitation only applies to a small group of nations.
Shortly before the 2024 Olympic Games, the Russian Federation invites you to its own sports event. President Vladimir Putin confirmed the Summer Games and extended an invitation to the BRICS countries. Putin said he was “glad” to welcome athletes from the so-called BRICS countries in 2024.
In addition to Russia, the alliance includes Brazil, India, China and South Africa. The name BRICS stands for the initials of the countries, an association of emerging economies – a kind of alternative to the US-led G7. On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Argentina, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia were confirmed as members for the coming year.
The major sporting event is called “Games of the Future”. In these future games, athletes are to compete in traditional sports as well as in eSports. 25 disciplines are on the program. This is reported by the Russian news agency “Tass”, which is close to the Kremlin. Putin wanted to promote sports and youth contacts in the countries, he said at the BRICS summit in South Africa, where he was connected via video telephony.
“Don’t create an alternative to the Olympic Games”
Venue is Kazan. The “World Youth Festival 2024” is also scheduled to take place in the southern Russian city of Sochi. In 2014, Sochi hosted the Winter Olympics. It later emerged that Russian sport had implemented a state-sponsored doping system there.
According to TASS, Putin instructed the government in mid-May to present plans and proposals for the BRICS games. They are set to increase between June 12 and 23, 2024. Sports Minister Oleg Matyzin had recently confirmed that he did not want to found an anti-Olympic. “I emphasize once again: we are not creating an alternative to the Olympic Games and so on. We are an independent country,” he said in July. The 2024 Summer Olympics will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
The extent to which Russia’s sports stars are allowed to take part in the Olympics has not yet been finally clarified. In spring, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate again – under a neutral flag. IOC boss Thomas Bach is also committed to this. However, the final decision on this is still pending. In the event of such a decision, Ukraine had threatened to boycott the games.