Deputy Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Odes Baysultanov presented his point of view on participation Russian athletes at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Baysultanov expressed doubts about the advisability of Russians performing under a neutral flag and without national identification. According to the deputy minister, participation in the Olympics in this status is a renunciation of one’s country and citizenship.

“I believe that our athletes cannot participate in the Olympics. We are talking about signing a declaration, but there is one element. It is forbidden to identify oneself with the country, only to perform in a neutral status. This is a conceptual refusal of the state,” Baysultanov said in an interview with TASS.

The Deputy Minister believes that any athlete who agrees to such conditions cannot be considered a citizen of the Russian Federation. Baysultanov emphasized that this is his personal point of view, with which someone may disagree.

At the same time, the politician is confident that the same Russian athletes are quite capable of performing with dignity at other sporting events with national symbols, and without sacrificing anything.