Putin has disgraced himself with the "alternative Olympics" that he promised to hold in Russia

Russia officially postpones the World Friendship Games to 2025. The event, which was Putin's personal initiative, was supposed to be an alternative to the 2024 Olympics and take place from September 15 to 29 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg. Rumors of problems with the tournament appeared a month ago.

On July 16, Alexei Sorokin, CEO of the Friendship Games organizing committee, said in an interview with RIA Novosti that information about the new dates of the competition "will appear in the near future."

"The country's leadership will inform us when they will take place," Sorokin said on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

The decree to hold the competition was signed by the Kremlin leader in April. Putin personally invited athletes from China. Russian officials called the event an alternative to the Olympic Games in Paris and promised $40,000 for winning, $30,000 for second place, and $20,000 for third.

Russian Deputy Sports Minister Odes Baisultanov called the Friendship Games a challenge for detractors, while Sorokin talked about medals made of pure gold. The program included more than 30 sports, and about 7,000 athletes were expected to participate. Deputy Sports Minister Odes Baisultanov called the event "a challenge to the enemies" and "a demonstration of Russia's strength and power."

According to the Russian authorities, the Friendship Games were supposed to be an "import substitution" for the Olympics, where Russian athletes compete on special conditions - without a flag and anthem - because of the war with Ukraine.

The IOC called for a boycott of the Friendship Games. The president of the organization, Thomas Bach, said that Russia is "shamelessly trying to organize a completely politicized sporting event." The World Anti-Doping Agency also called for a boycott of the tournament.

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