UFA, October 18. /TASS/. Western sports officials are secretly scouting Russian athletes in hopes of getting them to jump ship to their countries, Mikhail Khorev, the ministry’s envoy for international sports cooperation and ambassador-at-large, stated on the sidelines of the International Sports Forum Russia - Country of Sports.

"Thanks to the actions of Western countries, today international sports cooperation is in a deep crisis. International sports officials resort to various methods in their quest to abolish Russian sports: threats and blackmail against national sports organizations, incitement and even scouting Russian athletes, not to mention trying to get them to change their national affiliation, which is absolutely outrageous," he said.

Russia, for its part, invariably and consistently "advocates for the ideals of clean and fair sport, which fully adheres to the spirit and principles of the Olympic Charter." "We strongly oppose the politicization of this sphere and will firmly adhere to this idea," Khorev pointed out.

The International Sports Forum Russia - Country of Sports is taking place in Ufa from October 17 to 19. The forum has been held since 2009. Previously it was hosted by several Russian cities: Moscow, Kazan, Saransk, Yakutsk, Cheboksary, Dobrograd, Ulyanovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Kemerovo and Perm.

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