International Olympic Committee urges countries not to participate in Russian Friendship Games

The International Olympic Committee and the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations have called for the cancellation of the World Friendship Games, which Russia wants to host in Moscow and Yekaterinburg in September 2024, and for countries to refrain from participating in them.

Source: Inside the Games

Details: Thomas Bach, the President of the International Olympic Committee, has reacted negatively to the idea of organising the Friendship Games in 2024. Bach said that "the Russian government was going to hold politicised competitions".

Quote from Bach: "The Russian government accuses us of not maintaining political neutrality. At the same time, this same government is trying to organise a completely politicised sporting event," said Bach.

Details: James Macleod, the Director of National Olympic Committees (NOC) Relations, called the association to host the Russian games "a political organisation funded by the Russian government".

Quote from Macleod: "Considering the increasing politicisation of world sport, we would ask that all NOCs exercise caution with respect to this initiative. Indeed, any NOC involvement in the World Friendship Games would not only go against the IOC EB's recommendation of 25 February 2022 with respect to international sporting events being held in Russia but also against the Olympic Movement's collective aim of maintaining the independence and autonomy of sport."

For reference: Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on the holding of the World Friendship Games from 15 to 29 September 2024, in Moscow and Yekaterinburg. Participants will compete in 27 sports, including basketball, boxing, athletics, swimming, gymnastics, beach soccer, sports programming and even acrobatic rock and roll. The Games are likely to include a parade on Red Square. The Games are planned to be held in Russia every four years.

The estimated cost of the "games" exceeds RUB 8 billion (about US$89.4 million). Around 10,000 athletes from 137 countries could take part in the competition, which will have a total prize fund of RUB 4.6 billion (about US$51.4 million).

The only time a competition with this name has ever been held was in 1984 in countries of the Soviet Bloc: the USSR, Bulgaria, Hungary, East Germany, Cuba, North Korea, Mongolia, Poland and Czechoslovakia.

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