The setting and the occasion didn't really seem to lend themselves to it, but the desire was probably too strong. Present this week in Vladivostok for a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum 2023 (EEF), Vladimir Putin spoke about sport, Olympics and the sports movement. The Russian president did it in his own way, without taking any gloves off. With a clear target: the IOC.
« I think that the current leaders of the international federations and the International Olympic Committee are perverting the original idea of Pierre de Coubertin, Vladimir Putin told his audience. Sport must go beyond politics. It must unite and not divide people"
That's it for the introduction. A reference to Pierre de Coubertin. And a first round of criticism towards the IOC and the presidents of the international federations. The rest remained on the same tone.
« But what has happened in the last decade, continued Vladimir Putin. The Olympic Movement has been trapped by financial interests. We have witnessed the unacceptable commercialization of global sport and the international Olympic movement. In sport, it's not just about setting records. It’s also about bringing people together. But the global Olympic movement has abandoned this role. This is very unfortunate for the Olympic movement itself, as alternative movements will begin to emerge one way or another. And there is nothing we can do about it because this process is objective and impartial"
In Vladivostok, Vladimir Putin did not directly mention the Paris 2024 Games and the absence of the Russian flag, anthem and colors, but he once again confirmed his country's intention to organize the next year its own events. At the top of the list is the first BRICS Games, scheduled for June 12-23 in Kazan. A month and a handful of days before the Olympic meeting, they should include around twenty sports and bring together at least the member countries of the organization (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa).
According to Russian media, the idea of creating such a multi-sport event came from Vladimir Putin himself. He apparently slipped it last May during a government meeting, calling on the ministries concerned to get to work at full speed to quickly propose a concept to him. Since then, the man in the Kremlin seems to have made it a personal matter.
He repeated it this week at the Eastern Economic Forum: the event will be open to all. “ Next year we will host BRICS Games, he declared Tuesday September 12 in Vladivostok. Everyone will be happy to participate. All those who are apolitical"
Strategy developed at the top? Faced with the IOC and the Olympic movement, Vladimir Putin and his Minister of Sports, Oleg Matytsin, do not say the same thing. The first is very offensive. He hits without holding back his blows. The second turns out to be more nuanced. He calls for dialogue.
Less than a week after the Head of State's statements in Vladivostok, Oleg Matytsin spoke about Russia's position in the Olympic movement during a meeting of the board of directors of the Ministry of Sports. The former president of FISU had chosen very neutral words.
« We need to understand what role Russia will play in the world of sport in the next 5-10 years, and start building cooperation with the IOC and international federations today., Oleg Matytsin calmly explained. We need to understand the prospects ahead, both in terms of future elections and the state of our participation in international competitions. Next year will be a pivotal year. »
