The IOC accuses Russia of politicizing sports by organizing the Friendship Games

The new competition will compete with the Olympic Games, and Russian organizers are also planning a winter competition.

The IOC, which allowed Russian athletes to participate in this year’s Olympics in Paris only under a neutral flag and on the condition that they do not support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has called on the sports world and governments that have received invitations from Moscow to “reject all participation and support” for the event, it said. in his statement.

The first summer “Friendship Games,” announced a few months ago, “are planned to be held in Moscow and Yekaterinburg” this September, the IOC said. The first Winter Games will take place in 2026 in Sochi, the site of the highly controversial Winter Olympics 10 years ago.

These two initiatives complement the recent “Future Games” held in Kazan, which combined traditional sports with e-sports. sports, and the BRICS Games to be held in the same city in June.

Russian authorities say the latest Games will feature “athletes from more than 50 countries”.

The IOC criticizes the Russians not for hosting multi-sport events outside its auspices, as several already exist, including the Commonwealth Games and the Francophonie Games, but for doing so with a “very intense diplomatic offensive” in support of direct communications with governments around the world.

“To make their purely political motives even more obvious, they deliberately bypass the sports organizations of the target countries,” the IOC said in a statement.

“This is a clear violation of the Olympic Charter and, at the same time, a violation of various UN resolutions,” the organization emphasized. “This is a cynical attempt by the Russian Federation to politicize sports.”

The IOC also accused Moscow of a “complete disregard for global anti-doping standards and the integrity of competition”, citing concerns raised by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) last week regarding institutionalized doping at the Sochi Games 10 years ago.

“This position is strengthened by the fact that Russia’s National Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) is currently not following the Code, Russia currently does not have a WADA-accredited laboratory, and overall confidence in Russia’s anti-doping system remains low,” the IOC said.