Deputy Minister of Sports Morozov called the change of citizenship by Russian athletes a loss
Deputy Minister of Sports Alexei Morozov commented on the change of citizenship by domestic athletes. His words are quoted by TASS.
Morozov called the transfer of athletes to other teams a loss. “We want athletes to compete, to play as part of the Russian national team, but we don’t make anyone an enemy here, this is the personal choice of each athlete,” he said.
The deputy head of the Ministry of Sports said that the department is in touch with the federations on this issue. “We are trying to communicate with athletes, to convince them that they should compete for their homeland,” he said.
Earlier it became known the number of Russians who have changed sports citizenship since 2022. According to TASS, there were 67 such athletes.
On March 28, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended that Belarusians and Russians who did not support the special operation in Ukraine be allowed to compete in a neutral status. At the same time, athletes associated with the armed forces or security agencies of the two countries are proposed to be suspended from starts.
At the end of February 2022, most sports organizations suspended Russians and Belarusians from tournaments on the recommendation of the IOC. The decision on their participation in the 2024 Games has not yet been made.
Source: Lenta
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