MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. The 2023 ALBA Games, held under the auspices of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), will contribute to the development of cooperation between Russia and member states of the Bolivarian Alliance, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Tuesday.
"Our sports cooperation with Venezuela rests on the principles of mutual respect, readiness to exchange experience and hold joint sports tournaments," the Russian Sports Ministry quoted Matytsin as saying in a statement on Tuesday.
"I would like to express my gratitude to the Venezuelan side for inviting the Russian team to take part in such a major event for the Bolivarian Alliance," the minister continued. "It is especially important today that Russian athletes can compete at the international level in order to demonstrate their skills and for young athletes to gain the necessary competitive experience."
"Moreover, this is a great opportunity to witness how sports tournaments are organized in Latin America, and to get acquainted with the local culture and traditions. I wish the Russian national team good luck and success," Matytsin noted.
"I am confident that the ALBA Games will bring the peoples of Russia and the Bolivarian Alliance member states closer together, serve to strengthen our partnerships and further develop sports in our countries," the Russian sports minister added.
The roster of the Russian national squad at the 2023 ALBA Games is made up of 48 athletes who will compete for medals in a variety of events including boxing, beach volleyball, karate, table tennis, trampoline, weightlifting and rhythmic gymnastics.
In late February, Venezuela’s Minister of Popular Power for Youth and Sports, Mervin Maldonado, extended an invitation to Russian athletes to participate in the 2023 ALBA Games. The invitation was extended personally by Maldonado to Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin during their bilateral meeting on February 22.
The ALBA Games will consist of 35 events hosted by Venezuela between April 21 and 29. As many as 3,500 athletes representing 11 countries are expected to take part in the upcoming competition. Venezuela last hosted the ALBA Games in 2011.
The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) was established on December 14, 2004 at the initiative of then-President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez and the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro. ALBA’s 10 member states are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Nicaragua, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela.