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Friendship Games organizers ready to invite IOC representatives

The World Friendship Games will be held on September 15-29 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg

MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. The organizers of the Friendship Games in Russia are ready to invite representatives of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to the event, Director General of the Friendship Games Organizing Committee Alexey Sorokin told reporters.

"Invite IOC representatives to the Friendship Games? Why not, we are ready to invite everyone. The sports minister said that Ukrainian athletes will also be able to participate, we all remember this statement made last July," Sorokin said.

On March 19, the IOC called on foreign athletes and other governments to withdraw from the Friendship Games, calling the competition in Russia "politicized." In November, the IOC sent a letter to national Olympic committees recommending that they withdraw from the Friendship Games. Later, World Anti-Doping Agency Director-General Olivier Niggli said the organization was concerned about the Friendship Games in Russia. He noted that Russia has no right to hold such events due to the non-compliance of the Russian Anti-Doping Agency with the World Anti-Doping Code.

The World Friendship Games will be held on September 15-29 in Moscow and Yekaterinburg.

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