Russia to postpone World Friendship Games to 2025 to ‘maximise athlete availability’
- Event was last held 40 years ago when socialist states boycotted the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles
The Russia-backed World Friendship Games, originally scheduled to take place in September after the Paris Olympics, has been postponed to 2025, the Inside the Games website reported.
Russia and ally Belarus have been largely frozen out of international competitions, including the Paris Olympics, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow last year announced it would revive the multi-sport Friendship Games, 40 years after holding its first edition when several socialist states boycotted the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The organisers have now postponed the Games, which would have taken place in Moscow and Yekaterinburg, to a non-Olympic year to “maximise athlete and official availability”, the website reported.
“In the interest of all stakeholders, the Organising Committee believes postponing the Games until 2025 is the best course of action, allowing future participants ample time to prepare and maximise their performance in the World Friendship Games,” it added.
The Games received application from nearly 2,500 athletes from 127 countries to compete in 36 sports, the website said adding new dates would be announced soon.
