MOSCOW, January 9. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the 4th edition of the Russia-Chinese Winter Youth Games that kicked off in Russia’s Far Eastern city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Thursday.
"Both Russia and China have been paying great attention to promoting physical fitness, exercise and sports, as well as healthy and active lifestyles, while also seeking to enable their respective younger generations to forge closer bonds of friendship and mutual understanding," the Kremlin’s press office quoted Putin as saying in his congratulatory message to the tournament’s participants.
"Held in summer and winter sports disciplines, the Russian-Chinese Youth Games have firmly established themselves as one of the most far-reaching and successful undertakings in terms of promoting humanitarian cooperation and people-to-people ties," the Russian president continued. "I am sincerely delighted by the fact that these competitions have formed a positive tradition that has stood the test of time."
"I am certain that this time too, the competition will be organized to the highest standard and that those who come to Russia’s Far East to take part in this event will remember it for spectacular victories and records, as well as inspiring encounters, friendly communication and good memories from their stay in this region," Putin added.
China’s athletes arrived in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on January 8. The country’s delegation, which consisted of 147 athletes and members of the coaching staff, brought along over five tons of sports gear, the Russian Far Eastern Customs Service reported. The competition’s participants were welcomed with the traditional Russian fare of salt and bread and to the tune of Russian songs.
The 2025 Russia-China Winter Youth Games take place between January 8 and 14. The tournament’s program includes nine Olympic competitions. These include alpine skiing, ski racing, short track speed skating, snowboarding, figure skating, curling and other disciplines.
IOC sanctions against Russia, Belarus
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.
In late March, 2023, the IOC recommended 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. Russia and Belarus were also banned from participating in international team events.
On October 12, 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) until further notice after the Russian organization included the Olympic councils of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions as its members.