MOSCOW, July 1 Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said that the proposal of the ministry Sports of Poland to limit the organization of sports broadcasts of international competitions in Russia and Belarus goes against the interests of athletes. On Friday, Bortnichuk told reporters that a number of countries oppose the broadcasts of sports competitions in Russia and Belarus. According to him, the corresponding statement was signed by the ministers of 33 states responsible for sports, including 25 EU countries, as well as Great Britain, the USA, New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Norway and Canada. Bulgaria, Hungary and Switzerland refused to support the initiative. «The authors of the document are statesmen, ministers of sports, their signatures contradict the position of non-interference of states in the activities of independent sports organizations. On the one hand, now we see a productive approach of federations that allow Russian athletes to participate in international tournaments and realize the importance of working with our representatives in the governing bodies. On the other hand, there are still such collective applications that are of a specific discriminatory nature. Such statements do not really defend the interests of athletes,» Matytsin said in a statement provided by the press service of the Ministry of Sports. «We We actively cooperate with all countries that are ready to develop sports through the organization of open competitions, support for athletes, exchange of experience and professional dialogue — this work is now more important, because Russia has been and remains the guarantor of maintaining the unity of world sports,» the minister concluded.
