The Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin demanded not to talk about the return of athletes from the aggressor country to international tournaments. The official smugly added that the Russian Federation "is not fighting with anyone, we are not turning away from anyone" and will decide for itself in which tournaments it will take part.

Matytsin said this in an interview with the propaganda news agency TASS. He called the exclusion of Russians from competitions discriminatory and also called the plans of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to allow Russia to participate in the 2024 Olympics as a refugee team.

"I am categorically against the term 'returning Russia to the international arena'. We are not a parcel to be sent somewhere or returned, we decide for ourselves where we can participate, where we cannot, and in what status. President Vladimir Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum that we are not fighting with anyone, we are not turning away from anyone, we are ready to have a dialogue. But on terms that meet our national Russian interests. This absolutely concerns the sphere of sport, as any attempts of discrimination are unacceptable for us," said Matytsin.

Earlier, two-time Olympic champion Dmitry Vasilyev said that there would be riots and even terrorist attacks during the 2024 Olympics in Paris if the Russian team participated there in the status of a refugee team.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, two-time Olympic swimming champion Denis Pankratov accused the IOC of hating Russians. In addition, he demanded "purely human" to answer for the suspension of the Russian Federation.

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