Degryarev on Russias Exclusion: Notable Regret and Mourning Among IOC Members

The Minister of Sports of Russia, **Mikhail Degtyaryov**, commented on the international sports community’s attitude toward the exclusion of Russian athletes from competitions.

«We need to highlight the sports that have already allowed our athletes to participate: ski mountaineering and everything related to skating, including figure skating. This is a significant breakthrough, even if it is in a limited format for now. We are conducting non-public negotiations and are observing regret, even grief from many leaders, members of the IOC, and heads of national Olympic committees. Some openly express their feelings about this. I was just in Serbia, and the Hungarians are also on our side, supporting what is right.

However, this issue is complex and not straightforward. I have publicly stated that the Italian NOC is on our side because our interests align. They are hosting the Olympic Games, and currently, they won’t have key athletes in major sports. Naturally, this diminishes interest, ticket sales, and more. The latest example is Norwegian skiing, which has gone into decline. Who wants to watch it without our athletes? That’s why we are approaching this task systematically.

The second aspect is how we and the broader sports community view the ongoing armed conflict and the related negotiations. Of course, there is awareness. From our perspective, we need to be clear—this is a crucial topic. If we are to address situations involving gunfire, then should we remove all athletes from countries where shooting occurs from the Olympics and other international sports? I can list countries experiencing conflict: Israel, Palestine, recently India, Pakistan, which could flare up at any moment, and there are numerous conflicts in Africa. This would ultimately annihilate global sports,» said Degtyaryov, as reported by Match TV.