“Competitive practice is necessary for athletes in our time” – the leader of Russian kayakers about participation in the Asian Games

President of the All-Russian Rowing and Canoeing Federation Yevgeny Arkhipov in a conversation with , he said he did not rule out Russian kayakers participating in the Asian Games in 2023 due to the need for competitive practice.

On Saturday, it was learned that Russian and Belarusian athletes would be allowed to participate in the 2023 Asian Summer Games in a neutral status and outside the medal count. The total number of athletes must not exceed 500 people.

– The talks on this subject have been going on for a long time, but we have not received any official invitation.

– In the case of an official invitation, is it worth going to the Asian Games with such conditions?

“First we have to get it, we’ll see. But I do not exclude that it is interesting. Athletes need competitive practice these days, Arkhipov told .

The 2023 Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8.

As the press service of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) told , Russians will be allowed to participate in the 2023 Asian Games if the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allows them to participate in the Olympic Games in summer of Paris in 2024. The press service clarified that the final decision on the participation of Russians in the Asian Games will be taken with the cooperation of the IOC, OCA, international and Asian sports federations.

On March 28, the IOC announced recommendations on the admission of Russian and Belarusian athletes to international competitions in a neutral status. Recommendations include individual eligibility, status neutrality, banning team sports, and banning athletes associated with security forces or who have expressed support for the CWO. A decision on the Paris 2024 Olympics will be taken “at the appropriate time”, said the IOC.