Russia is turning cynical rival games
Due to only a few Russians being allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, the country presents its plan for World Friendship Games. The war-leading country wants to conceal its international isolation this way. However, this will not happen for now.
The World Friendship Games, which Russia had grandly announced for September as a "sports event of the world," have been canceled, according to organizers. The main reason is that the athletes participating in international competitions do not have enough time to regain sufficient strength by then after the Olympic Games in Paris. The organizers in Moscow stated that the event will be postponed to 2025. The government must still approve the proposal to move the World Friendship Games and agree to a new date.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had clearly opposed Russia's plans and urged its member associations not to participate in such an event. "It is a cynical attempt by the Russian Federation to politicize sport," the IOC said in March.
A sports parade like in Soviet times
The World Friendship Games were originally planned from September 15 to 29 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg. The organizers now hope to attract prominent athletes through the postponement and plan a supporting program with culture and entertainment.
The World Friendship Games were intended to be a replacement for Russian athletes who were not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games in Paris due to Moscow's attack on Ukraine. Only about a dozen athletes were allowed to participate under a neutral flag there.
A promotional film announced the games in Russia as a new world sports event for people from "all corners of the planet" with "significant prize money." The Friendship Games, other new international competitions, and a grand sports parade on Red Square, ordered by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, were intended to distract from Russia's isolation.
For former Olympic participants who are not in Paris, the Russian Olympic Committee has decided to pay compensation. The compensation ranges from 150,000 rubles (approximately 2,100 USD) for simple former participants to 500,000 rubles (approximately 10,500 USD) for Olympic champions. However, only one amount will be paid per person, regardless of the number of medals they have.
Despite the cancellation of the World Friendship Games due to athletes' insufficient time to recover after the Paris Olympic Games, Russia's motivation remains the same. They aim to organize the games in 2025 as a response to their limited participation in the Olympic Games due to the attack on Ukraine, which has resulted in only a few Russians competing under a neutral flag.
