September 18, (THEWILL) – In light of Russia’s continued exclusion from international sports, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has proposed that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) establish “an association of sports organisations” and host “major sporting events” under its auspices.
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine forced the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to recommend that athletes and officials from Russia and Belarus be barred from participating in international sporting events. Indeed, the majority of International Federations have adopted this recommendation.
Since the “protective measures” were put in place in February, Russia has only been able to participate in a limited number of sporting events with its allies, most notably Belarus, which is supporting the invasion of Ukraine.
However, Russia is a key member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which also includes Iran and the Central Asian former Soviet states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. China, India, and Pakistan are also members.
In Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where the SCO nations met, Putin touted the idea of the organisation hosting sporting events saying: “There are good opportunities to intensify sports cooperation with the prospect of holding major sporting events under the auspices of the SCO. To do this, we could think about creating an association of sports organisations under our association.”
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
