sports minister: Russia must “ensure sovereignty” 

Russia needs to ensure the sovereignty of its sports system while finding new ways to develop ties in the face of it “politicized” Sanctions, according to Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin.

Russia has been hit by a wave of sports bans following the military operation in Ukraine, barring its athletes from major international competitions.

In his speech on Tuesday, Sports Minister Matytsin condemned the sanctions as a tool to put political pressure on Russia and said the country could look for new opportunities in Eurasia and with partners in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the SCO ( Shanghai Cooperation Organization) groups of nations.

“Under the conditions of sanctions, our priority is to ensure the sovereignty of the national sports system,” said Matytsin in comments shared by TASS.

“Unfortunately, the sport has become a means of political influence, it is used as a means of exerting pressure on Russia. But in general, this is a blow not only for us but for everything in world sports, according to Olympic values.

“Sport should create a strong ideological basis for the healthy development of society, we regularly engage in dialogue with industry representatives to understand current issues and problems.

“Elaboration of proposals for anti-crisis measures in support of physical culture and sports [in Russia] is our shared responsibility.”

Matytsin added that despite Western efforts to isolate it, Russia has no intention of turning its back on the international sports community.

However, he noted that there was potential for developing sporting relationships in Eurasia and between BRICS and SCO.

Part of Russia’s response to sporting sanctions against its athletes has been to step up efforts to offer alternative competitions for them, as happened when Russian Paralympians were banned from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics earlier this year.

Matytsin’s comments on Tuesday continue a theme he promoted on a recent trip to India, where the Russian minister addressed enhanced sporting ties between the two nations.

Speaking of Russia’s sports sovereignty, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko – a key figure in sports in his home country – lamented earlier this month that the country imports 90% of its sports equipment.

Chernyshenko said Russia needs to reduce this dependency to become more resilient to sanctions.

“A 90 percent reliance on imported equipment is a staggering number,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

“This suggests that we need to develop the economy, produce our own gear and bring our sporting goods and technology to market.”

Noting that Russia may continue to look to India and China in this regard, Chernyshenko added: “But technological sovereignty dictates that we should do the same in Russia.

“Nobody is saying to shut down because this is a road to nowhere. If we present a product worthy of export, then it is worth it.”