MINSK, August 3. /TASS/. Over 2,200 athletes representing 22 countries have officially registered to participate in the 2023 CIS Games set to kick off later this week in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, First Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister Alexander Dorokhovich told journalists on Thursday.
"As of today, 2,214 athletes from 22 countries have registered to participate in 2nd CIS Games," BelTA news agency quoted Dorokhovich as saying.
The official said 500 athletes have already arrived in the country, adding that "the 2nd CIS Games are unique because the competitions will be held both in the Belarusian capital and the regions of our country."
Belarus is set to host the 2023 CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States) Games on August 4-14 in 11 cities across the country. The official opening and closing ceremonies of the 2nd edition of the CIS Games are slated for August 5 and 13 respectively. The previous edition of this event was hosted by the Russian city of Kazan in 2021.
"We have all been preparing for the Games. We hope that the media will widely cover the competitions and more visitors will come to our country," Dorokhovich added.
Spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Anatoly Glaz announced in late June that Belarus decided to introduce a visa-free regime for all sports fans coming from abroad and wishing to watch competitions of the 2023 CIS Games in August.
"We will organize a holiday that is not overshadowed by visa restrictions or any other limitations," he said. "We are waiting for all of our guests to come and it it once again speaks for our hospitality."
On February 28, 2022, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued recommendations to international sports federations to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from taking part in international tournaments, citing Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine as the reason.
Following the IOC’s recommendations in late February 2022, the majority of global sports federations decided to bar athletes from Russia and Belarus from all international sports tournaments.
At its session on January 25, 2023, the IOC Executive Board put forward a proposal to permit individual athletes from Russia and Belarus to take part in international sports tournaments, but only under certain conditions. Specifically, athletes from the two countries should not be "actively supporting" Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and must compete under a neutral status.