ALEKSIN /Tula Region/, May 19. /TASS/. Global sports isn't complete without the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus, Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) Mikhail Degtyarev said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Degtyarev announced that the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA) had allowed all Russian fighters to participate in international tournaments under the national flag and to the tune of the country’s anthem.

"Congratulations to the whole gymnastics world, the whole wrestling world and today there is one more piece of news – Thai boxing is also fully allowed with the flag and anthem," he said at a meeting of the State Council Commission on Physical Culture and Sports.

"We are carrying out this work upon orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin. This work is aimed at restoring the integrity of world sports, as without Russia and Belarus, it is lacking," Degtyarev added.

Earlier, restrictions were lifted from Russia by other international fighting federations, namely in the sports of judo, sambo, taekwondo, kickboxing, boxing, MMA and wrestling.

In December 2025, the IOC Executive Board issued recommendations that allowed athletes in international federations from Russia and Belarus to participate in youth disciplines under the national flags and anthems. This recommendation applied to both individual and team sports. Numerous international sports federations followed the proposal.