Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin wants to stage competitions "in an open format with the invitation of partner countries" ©Russian Ministry of Sport

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has briefed the country's President Vladimir Putin about plans to launch its own series of international events, including a "World Friendship Games" next year shortly after the conclusion of the Olympic Games in Paris. 

Hosting its own events was a regular topic of discussion when Russia was frozen out of international sport, with a Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics replacement event in Khanty-Mansiysk attended by five countries and plans continuing for a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Games, potentially with an inaugural edition in Kazan.

International sport was discussed at a Government meeting staged by Putin, where Matytsin outlined hopes for what he branded as a World Friendship Games.

"We propose to intensify the practice of holding competitions in an open format with the invitation of partner countries," Matytsin said, according to The Kremlin's official website.

"We continue to fulfil your [Putin's] instruction to organise the World Friendship Games in the fall of 2024.

"We consider it necessary to use the resources of both Russian and international public and state organisations to the maximum for the successful holding of the Games, which should be held on a regular basis in the future."

Among those linked with organising the event are Alexey Sorokin, the former chief executive of the Local Organising Committee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, staged in Russia. 

A multi-sport event known as the Friendship Games was organised in the Soviet Union and eight of its allies in 1984 in what was widely viewed as an alternative to the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics because of a Moscow-led boycott.

This followed on from an American-led boycott of Moscow 1980.


The Soviet Union launched the Friendship Games in Moscow in 1984 after they had boycotted the Olympic Games in Los Angeles earlier that year ©ROC
The Soviet Union launched the Friendship Games in Moscow in 1984 after they had boycotted the Olympic Games in Los Angeles earlier that year ©ROC

In 1986, American television mogul and CNN founder Ted Turner launched the Goodwill Games, which were briefly seen as being a serious rival to the Olympic Games.

The first edition was staged in Moscow and were subsequently staged in Seattle in 1990, Saint Petersburg in 1994, New York City in 1998 and Brisbane in 2001, before being cancelled because of poor television ratings. 

To try to avoid further boycotts, the Olympic Charter was changed in 1999 to oblige all National Olympic Committees to send a team to the Summer Olympics.

Ukraine's Government has heavily criticised the IOC's updated recommendations on Russia and Belarus, and threatened to boycott Paris 2024 qualifiers where their athletes participate and withdraw the status of National Federations who compete against them.

The IOC has claimed "it is not up to Governments to decide which athletes can participate in which international competitions" and blasted criticism of its stance as "deplorable", but significant opposition to Russian and Belarusian inclusion in sport remains particularly in Europe.

Russian critics have argued that the conditions laid out are "discriminatory", but the IOC insists it has "found some middle ground".

The IOC has also stressed a final decision on Paris 2024 has not yet been taken, but International Federations have been divided in their response to the updated recommendations.

Since the IOC announcement, archery, canoeing, cycling, fencing, judo, modern pentathlon, shooting, skateboarding, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon and wrestling have lifted blanket bans, but athletics, badminton, basketball, equestrian, sport climbing and surfing have maintained their measures.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, stripped of the Olympic Order because of the war in Ukraine, accused some sports officials of neglecting
Russian President Vladimir Putin, stripped of the Olympic Order because of the war in Ukraine, accused some sports officials of neglecting "the principles of Olympism" ©Getty Images

Putin addressed the situation at the Government meeting, claiming some sports officials were damaging the Olympic Movement.

"Our athletes take part in international sports competitions and plan to take part in various international competitions," the Russian leader, last year stripped by the IOC of the Olympic Order he had been awarded in 2001, told the meeting.

"Now I will not talk about what and how international sports officials do about this, who often, unfortunately, neglect the principles of Olympism.

"Well, God bless them they only harm this international Olympic Movement."

Matytsin also discussed ambitions for an inaugural BRICS Games to be held in Russia in 2024 with partners Brazil, India, China and South Korea, and revealed 250 Russian athletes are set to compete in the Russian-Chinese Youth Games in Chongqing from May 21 to 27.

"The situation today confirms the importance and necessity of further strengthening the sports agenda within the framework of interstate associations, such as the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States], SCO and BRICS, which are not subject to sanctions and restrictions from international sports structures," he said.