Postponement rules: when the Friendship Games will take place

The Friendship Games have been postponed until a special order of the Russian president, according to a decree posted on the official portal of legal information. Initially, the competitions were to be held from September 15 to 29, 2024 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg. However, they never took place. In the summer of 2024, the International Friendship Association (IFA) came forward with an initiative to postpone the tournament to 2025, and later to 2026.

Several postponements

Officials from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) have repeatedly spoken out against the Friendship Games. The organization's president Thomas Bach called them politicized and threatened athletes with sanctions. In addition, the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency Witold Banka emphasized that "possible participation in these competitions will have consequences for the signatories of the WADA code".

The tournament organizing committee admitted that they were disappointed to see such statements.

- Such a position, in our opinion, is unconstructive and not aimed at the development of sport. The key principles of the World Friendship Games are equal conditions and non-discrimination in any form for all participants of the competition, - said in an official statement of the organizers on the reaction of Thomas Bach.

Alexei Sorokin, who headed the organizing committee of the Friendship Games at the time, said that dozens of countries had confirmed their participation in the competition in spring 2024.

- I wouldn't want to give details yet, we have to wait for that. Of course, there are representatives of sports that are slower to react, there are those who are faster, - quoted earlier his words matchtv.ru.

However, in July, the International Friendship Association (IFA) came up with an initiative to postpone the games to 2025. The reason was insufficient time for the recovery of leading athletes participating in major international tournaments in the summer of 2024.

- It would be wrong to hold the Friendship Games in the year of the Olympics and the BRICS Games. That's why I consider the postponement to be the right decision," Jerome Valcke, head of the International Friendship Association (IFA) and former FIFA secretary general, told Izvestia.

According to the functionary, the games should not be rushed.

- If you want to know my personal opinion, I believe that the Friendship Games should be organized in 2026. I will explain why. There is not much time left until the summer of 2025. And in terms of logistics, in terms of organization, it will be a very difficult process. We have to send invitations to athletes in advance, to coordinate it at all levels. So my advice to you is that it is better to hold the games in 2026," Valcke said.

The right decision

Now the dates of the competitions are unknown.

- Perhaps the decision to postpone the Friendship Games until a special order from the Russian president looks right now," said Olympic champion and former sports minister Pavel Kolobkov in a conversation with Izvestia. - I say this taking into account the fact that there are so many difficulties for the event now. We need to do more preparatory work, and then we'll see. Moreover, I think that this is a very costly event in terms of finances, so we need to once again assess the prospects and opportunities. Besides, elections to the Russian Olympic Committee will be held now, there will be a new chairman. Perhaps he will change his policy towards the IOC and he will be able to find a contact with the committee. Therefore, it is tactically correct to postpone this event now.

At the same time, Kolobkov is confident that a good future awaits the World Friendship Games.

- I believe that we should return to it, because the idea itself is good, - continued the former minister. - We just need to think again about the format, to consider the timing. Because athletes' calendars are now heavily loaded in other countries. Therefore, to have a representative composition of participants, it is necessary to hold the games at a time when it is convenient for everyone. So that the games do not overlap with preparations for the Olympics and qualifying competitions.

At the same time, it is not yet known whether any sports competitions will be organized to replace the postponed Friendship Games.

- I don't know that. The government should be asked," Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He noted that this question should be better addressed to the Ministry of Sport.