Russia will cooperate in sports with CIS, BRICS, EAEU, and SCO countries

In the context of sanctions and discrimination against athletes, the Russian Federation needs to establish cooperation in sports with the BRICS, EAEU, SCO and CIS countries by creating alternatives to Western international competitions and sports clubs and organizations. This opinion was shared by government officials and legal experts after the session entitled ‘The Universal Right to Sport: Contemporary Challenges in International Sports Events’ held at the 11th St. Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF).

KEY CONCLUSIONS

Attempts to pressure and isolate Russian athletes have failed

“We can see that the discriminatory policy towards our sport has not brought the desired results for our opponents. The complete isolation of Russian sport that our foreign colleagues had obviously hoped for did not happen,” Andrey Fedorov, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation.

“Of course, it was not us who lost, it was them. Because the level of competition is falling. It is a different sort of Olympic Games and a different sort of World Championships without our athletes,” Viktor Blazheyev, Rector, Kutafin Moscow State Law University.

“We were given the opportunity to have our regions compete at the World Cup instead of just two athletes and instead of just one team <...>, and we have over 80 regions. <...> Eighty teams of excellent athletes from different regions now have the opportunity to compete internationally. <...> Now both international competitions and the title of international master of sports have become legitimate. Children now have a new impetus. <...> We now have world championships at our venues. <...> Children are now competing at the highest level. <...> Sanctions have helped develop our competitions, our athletes,” Irina Viner, Chairman of the Commission on Physical Training and Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle, Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation; President, Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.

PROBLEMS

Discrimination against Russian athletes not only violates human rights, but also demonstrates the lack of international sports law in force

“International sports law by and large does not exist. First of all, since practically everyone has abandoned those provisions and norms. <...> And there is no presumption of innocence, <...> no human rights there,” Viktor Blazheyev, Rector, Kutafin Moscow State Law University.

“The sanctions are massive violations of human rights to participation in sport, to equal access to competitions. The right to work is violated, as well as property rights, <...> image rights are also violated. It’s unfair competition, <...> political interference in sport. <...> it turns out that, instead of protecting these tenets of the Olympic Charter, they are <...> forced to violate them in relation to Russian sport,” Sergey Alekseev, Chairman of the Sports Law Commission, Association of Lawyers of Russia.

“Many of us believed that <...> soon all these absurd decisions would be reversed, all restrictions on our athletes would be lifted. Unfortunately, this has not happened. And I assume that it will not actually happen until our country successfully completes the special military operation,” Andrey Fedorov, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation.

SOLUTIONS

Alternative sports competitions involving CIS, BRICS and SCO countries should be created

“We see the prospects for the development of the sports movement in Russia as further development of foreign contacts through fitness and sport. Of course, these will mainly be friendly countries <...> of the Eurasian Economic Union, BRICS, SCO, and CIS. We believe that there are great prospects here,” Andrey Fedorov, State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation.

“The SCO, BRICS, and CIS are very strong organizations. Under agreements with our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with our Government, and with Russian President Vladimir Putin, they should agree that they will allow and invite leading athletes here. <...> We will develop it [the competitions, – Ed.]. It will be an alternative to the Olympic Games,” Irina Viner, Chairman of the Commission on Physical Training and Promotion of Healthy Lifestyle, Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation; President, Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.

“We finally need to create our own new forms of competitions. <...> These are both club competitions and open championships. <...> No NHL player will go to a world championship because NHL competitions is of a higher level,” Viktor Blazheyev, Rector, Kutafin Moscow State Law University.

Russia needs to create a legal framework for sports on its own

“We, lawyers, should propose ways to legally formalize new forms of competitions and actively promote them, involving all our friendly foreign colleagues. <...> We are a great sporting nation, and we must dictate our own rules,” Viktor Blazheyev, Rector, Kutafin Moscow State Law University.

“The task of lawyers is to create the kind of regulation, the kind of conditions which would encourage people to take up sports and stay in it, encourage the development of new technologies, and encourage the construction of sports facilities. <...> It is necessary to carefully analyze <...> the legal regulations which have led to the situation in which our athletes are subjected to incredible pressure, when discriminatory decisions are taken against them. We need to join forces with other countries which are friendly to us and change this regulation. <...> Or, if <...> we build our own system, develop regulations that guarantee equal rights and opportunities for all participants,” Alexander Kiknadze, Deputy Executive Director, Russian Ice Hockey Federation; Arbitrator, The National Sports Arbitration Center.

“We need a state policy to protect the rights of athletes. <...> A system of appeal against all these [unlawful, – Ed.] decisions needs to be set up, and, in parallel, sports diplomacy needs to be developed,” Sergey Alekseev, Chairman of the Sports Law Commission, Association of Lawyers of Russia.

For more information, visit the Roscongress Information and Analytical System roscongress.org.

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