YAROSLAVL, January 16. /TASS/. Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has backed the proposal put forward by the Athletes Commission of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) of using "Katyusha," Russia’s most popular song in World War II, instead of the national anthem at the Olympic Games, Matytsin told TASS on Saturday.
On Thursday, the Athletes Commission suggested that the ROC should use the Katyusha song instead of the national anthem at the Olympics. Earlier, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland’s Lausanne ruled that at international sports tournaments Russian athletes would not compete under the national flag of Russia, nor the national anthem would be played until mid-December 2022.
"I have great respect for Katyusha, as it has had long-time traditions in the Soviet Union, in Russia. It is well-known throughout the world and is associated with our country. This opinion was voiced by the athletes, and of course, I respect it and we will be supporting that," Matytsin said.
Tokyo will host the Summer Olympic Games on July 23 through August 8, 2021. Beijing will host the Winter Olympics on February 4-20, 2022.