One month prior to the Olympic Games next year, Russia will organize its own tournament. The game will be open to the countries within the BRICS community.
In the 2024 Olympic Games, which will be held in Paris, Russian and Belarusian athletes must compete as individual neutrals and are not allowed to stand behind a Russian or Belarusian flag. Furthermore, they may not compete as a Russian or Belarusian team. Athletes in the military or who support the war in Ukraine are also banned from participating in the Olympic Games.
The Russian Sports Ministry has now announced that in 2024 the so-called BRICS Games will be held instead, reports TASS.
BRICS is an abbreviation of a collaboration between five of the world’s largest national economies, including Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
The Games will be held in the Russian city of Kazan in June, one month before the Olympic Games. Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin says that bringing countries together in sport helps “solve global issues” and contributes to “mutual respect”.
– The role of BRICS in contributing to resolving global issues, including in the field of sports, is increasing in the current situation, Matytsin said.
In May, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward the proposal to host the 2024 BRICS sporting event.