Ajit Karn
Russia has proposed to host the inaugural SCO Games, despite the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) prohibition on its member nations participating in sporting events in that country. This proposal could place India in a difficult position.
Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, who is currently on an official visit to India, has proposed holding the inaugural SCO Games in his country, according to a statement released by the Russian Sports Ministry on Wednesday.
Matytsin was quoted in a statement from the Russian Sports Ministry as saying, “We propose to consider Russia as a potential country to host the SCO Games in coordination with the SCO chair state for another calendar year.”
The association will foster recreational activities among SCO member nations.
According to the statement, Matytsin met with the chiefs of the ministries and departments responsible for the development of physical culture and athletics in the SCO member states, including Russia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
If the proposal is adopted by the member states of the SCO, there could be far-reaching repercussions, given that the IOC has instructed international spots federations and National Olympic Committees not to participate in any event in Russia and Belarus as a result of the Ukraine conflict.
The IOC plans to allow Russians and Belarusians to return to competition as neutral athletes without national symbols in advance of qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“With regard to the sanctions, the Executive Board unanimously reaffirmed and called for a strengthening of the sanctions already in place: No international sports events will be organised or supported by an international federation or national Olympic committee in Russia or Belarus,” the IOC said in a statement issued on January 25 after its Executive Board meeting.
“No flag, national anthem, national colours, or other identifications of these nations may be displayed at any sporting event or meeting, including the entire venue.
No Russian or Belarusian government or state official should be invited or accredited to any international sporting event or meeting. In a separate statement issued on February 28, the IOC advised international sports federations and event organisers not to invite or permit Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials to participate in international competitions.
“…the IOC Executive Board strongly urges International Sports Federations and organisers of sporting events around the world to do everything in their power to ensure that no athlete or sports official from Russia or Belarus is permitted to participate under the name of Russia or Belarus,” the statement read.
“Nationals of Russia or Belarus, whether as individuals or as teams, should only be admitted as neutral athletes or neutral teams. There should be no national symbols, colours, flags, or anthems displayed.” After consulting with IOC members, the entire network of athlete representatives, international federations, and National Olympic Committees, the global body stated that it arrived at the decision.
However, Russia’s proposal contained no information regarding the event’s potential date or size.
Under these conditions, participation in a competition in Russia could result in an IOC prohibition. One of the reasons for the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) 14-month suspension by the IOC from December 2012 to February 2014 was government interference in its operations.
IOA coordinates the participation of Indian athletes in multi-sport competitions such as the Olympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and sports ministry administration could not be reached for comment.
Since the beginning of the Ukraine Conflict, athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus have been excluded from the majority of Olympic sports.
Last month, 35 countries signed a statement criticising the IOC’s intentions to allow Russians and Belarusians to return to competition as neutral athletes without national symbols ahead of qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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On the other hand, the Olympic Council of Asia invited Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete at the Asian Games, which will be held from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China, and qualify for the 2024 Olympics. However, the specifics and modalities are still to be determined.
In addition to inviting Russia to participate in the inaugural Central Asian Football Association Championships in June, the Tajikistan Football Association extended invitations to seven other national teams, including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Iran.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2016, Russian football teams have been excluded from European and FIFA competitions.
