MOSCOW, August 29. /TASS/. It was a sound decision to once again allow Russian teams to compete at international competitions under their national flag because sports should be separate from politics, Anton Kara, the director-general of the ANO Agency for the Development of Computer Sports told TASS on Tuesday.

The International Esports Federation (IESF) decided on Monday to give Russian teams back the right to participate under their country’s national flag and to the tune of the national anthem. ANO ‘Agency for the Development of Computer Sports’ is the rights holder of the ‘Games of the Future’ brand.

"Our country has never supported the cancel culture, we do not want countries to be separated by barriers," Kara said.

"We are inviting Phygital and cyber sports athletes from around the world to participate in the Games of the Future," he continued. "That is why we are very happy with the sensible decision made by our Western colleagues. Sports should not be influenced by politics."

The IESF previously ruled on April 18, 2022 to strip Russia’s e-athletes of their right to participate in international tournaments under their country’s national flag and anthem.

"I also believe that the return of the national identity symbols to Russian teams emphasizes the importance of their role in the development of global cybersports," Kara added.

The inaugural cybersport Games of the Future in 2024 will consist of new disciplines using advanced technology, the digital environment and physical activity. The competitions are designed to use cutting-edge developments in cybersports, robotics, both augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR), information technology (IT) and artificial intelligence (AI). The tournament offers $25 million in prize money.

As part of the preparations for the Games of the Future, Russia has organized a series of Phygital Games. The first Phygital Games were held on September 21-23, 2022, the second - from November 24 through December 10, 2022, the third - on February 5-11, and the fourth - on March 9-10. The 5th edition of the Phygital Games was hosted by Kazan on May 16-19.