Former USSR national team footballer and Spartak veteran Anzor Kavazashvili criticized International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach for urging nations to skip participation in the Friendship Games. Kavazashvili’s remarks were cited by Match TV, highlighting his sharp rebuke of what he views as political meddling in sport.
In Kavazashvili’s view, Bach has taken positions that align with European political agendas, calling him a two-faced figure, a reference to the Janus myth. He went on to express support for statements made by Matytsin and Pozdnyakov, who advocate organizing a premier competition among BRICS nations. Kavazashvili argued that such a BRICS-led event could proceed without external interference, and he suggested that it would be possible to deliver a top-tier tournament even in the face of international pressure.
The World Friendship Games are scheduled to take place in Moscow and Yekaterinburg from September 15 to 29, 2024. The event is presented as the first major multi-sport gathering to feature competition across all 25 Olympic and non-Olympic sports, offering a broad platform for participants and fans alike amid shifting international sports dynamics.
Earlier in the year, on February 28, the IOC issued a directive to international sports federations, recommending that domestic athletes and Belarusian competitors refrain from participation in certain events. The guidance also led to the relocation or cancellation of several competitions in Russia where foreign athletes had planned to compete, reshaping the calendar for many national teams and federations.
In other developments, it was reported that the 2024 Bandy World Championship faced cancellation, a decision that further underscores how international sport has been navigating a complex landscape of governance, geopolitics, and scheduling constraints in recent years.