It remains to be seen how this proposal will be received, given the IOC’s ban on Russia’s participation in global sporting events…reports Asian Lite News
Russia has proposed hosting the inaugural Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Games, a move that could create a difficult situation for India, given the ban imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on member nations participating in sporting events in Russia.
Oleg Matytsin, the Russian Sports Minister, who is currently in India on an official visit, suggested holding the first SCO Games in his country, according to a statement released by the Russian Sports Ministry on Wednesday.
It remains to be seen how this proposal will be received, given the IOC’s ban on Russia’s participation in global sporting events.
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“We propose to consider Russia as a possible country to host the SCO Games in coordination with the SCO chair state for another calendar year,” Matytsin said.
“The activities of the association could be aimed at strengthening ties in the development of Olympic, non-Olympic, Paralympic and national sports; the association will promote sports activities among the SCO member states.”
Oleg Matytsin proposed this during a meeting with the heads of ministries and departments responsible for physical culture and sports development in member states of the SCO. The meeting was attended by representatives from Russia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
If the proposal is accepted, it could have significant consequences as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently banned member nations from participating in sporting events in Russia and Belarus due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
However, the IOC plans to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete as neutral participants without national symbols in qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The IOC’s Executive Board unanimously re-affirmed and reinforced the existing sanctions on Russia and Belarus, including the prohibition of any international sports events being organized or supported by an International Federation (IF) or National Olympic Committee (NOC) in those countries.
The IOC also prohibited the display of any national symbols, including flags, anthems, or colours, of Russia or Belarus at any sports events or meetings, and recommended that international sports federations and event organizers do not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions.
