Sports News :Russian Deputy PM on country's sporting plight

Russia reacted to the series of restrictions imposed on it by the IOC, FIFA, UEFA and other international sports associations in protest at the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko at the board session of the Sports Ministry on Tuesday commented that Russia has always believed that sport was beyond politics and that recent Olympic games in Tokyo and Beijing clearly showed to everyone that the unprecedented restrictions and pressures that are being exerted on us do not break the sports spirit of our athletes.

Chernyshenko said that the priority remains to ensure Russian sport is involved in international competitions but in the current circumstances Russia will pay special attention to interaction and conducting joint activities primarily with our good neighbours with the CIS countries, the BRICS and the SCO.

The funds released from cancelled events will be directed into construction of sports infrastructure, said Chernyshenko.

The May 28 UEFA Champions League final, the Super Bowl of European soccer, was stripped from St. Petersburg and replaced by Paris; Formula One also dropped this season's Russian Grand Prix at Sochi in protest.

On Monday, in a major blow to a soccer-mad nation, Russian teams were suspended from all international soccer.