This was announced to reporters by Sports Minister of the Russian Federation Oleg Matytsin after a meeting with the head of China’s main state department for physical culture and sports, Gao Zhidan.”It is symbolic that we meet immediately after the end of the state visit of the President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping to Moscow, the agreements reached between the leaders of Russia and China will have historic significance for the “the whole world community. Sports cooperation between our countries has rich potential and is developing in the spirit of true partnership, mutual respect and the absence of any form of discrimination,” Matytsin said.As of the end of March this year, more than 120 sports events have already taken place within the framework of the years of cooperation in the field of physical culture and sports, almost 30% of the total. More than 300 events are planned for 2023.Recall that the III Russian-Chinese Youth Winter Games were successfully held in China recently. There is another important event ahead – the Games of the Future, which will be held in 2024 in Kazan. This is an international tournament in a new format. The games will include competitions in 16 hybrid disciplines.Our countries are also actively cooperating in the organization and holding of the Silk Way International Rally. Let’s remember how last year the Chinese driver of the “One Belt – One Road” team, the multiple champion of China in rally-raid in the truck category, Hou Hongning, drove the Russian “KAMAZ”.
Hou Hongnin said he was delighted with the organization and the reception in Russia:- We are always happy to participate in such a competition. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the KAMAZ-Master team for the car provided for participation. During the tests of the car, I felt incredible emotions. The new truck is fun to drive, very powerful and fast. Compared to the 2016 version of the car, the last time we played the Silk Road, it has improved. In general the organization and support was at the highest level.In addition to active cooperation with the Chinese side in the current geopolitical conditions, participation in other international multi-sport forums held periodically can be a valid and high-quality alternative for Russian athletes.For example, awards have already been drawn twice in a number of Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines at the BRICS sports games. Oleg Matytsin in India’s capital New Delhi at a meeting of heads of departments responsible for the development of physical culture and sports of SCO member states presented a proposal to consider Russia as a possible host country of the SCO Games.If the next Games of the BRICS countries and the SCO Games are in the near future, Russia already has proposals for participating in large multi-sport forums, where the composition of participants is formed mainly on a geographical basis. Thus, the Olympic Council of Asia has already expressed its wish to see Russia at the next Asian Games in 2023. To some extent, unexpectedly and quite quickly, our participation in the revived Games of the countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for peoples of the Americas, which will be held from April 21 to 29 in Venezuela, has found realities. According to the press service of the Russian Ministry of Sports, it is planned to delegate a team of 48 athletes who will perform with the national flag and anthem at competitions in seven of the 35 types of program – boxing, beach volleyball, karate , table tennis, trampoline, weightlifting and rhythmic gymnastics.Direct speech
Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation:
Dmitry Chernyshenko is looking forward to the start of the unique “Future Games” in Kazan. Photo: Konstantin Zavrazhin / RG- Today, China is one of the world’s leading sports powers both in traditional sports and in the development of e-sports. Russia sees great potential and value in expanding cooperation with China in these areas. “Games of the Future” – an innovative figurative sports tournament, created in Russia for future generations, will become a platform to strengthen our interaction for the development of sports of the future. We will be happy to welcome the best esports clubs and feature teams from China in test competitions which are already taking place regularly in Kazan this year.I am sure that at the inaugural tournament in Kazan in February 2024, the Chinese delegation will be one of the most representative. We have also taken a big step forward for China to host the next Games of the Future.
