IAAF is destroying Russian athletics, says sports minister

MOSCOW, June 21 (Reuters) - World athletics federation IAAF has, by suspending Russia's track and field team over doping offences, come closer to destroying the sport in the country than helping it develop, the sports minister said.

IAAF is destroying Russian athletics, says sports minister

(Reuters)





First imposed in November, the IAAF ban was extended on Friday and supported by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Saturday.

"I have written an open letter to (the IAAF)... If you are an organisation whose aim is to develop athletics then you have done everything to destroy it," Vitaly Mutko told Reuters in an interview.

Russian track and field athletes had not participated in international competitions in January.

"I, on behalf of the state, cannot finance the country's national team. That means all this is falling apart. Next, I cannot finance the training centre, all these are closing down. The young athletes do not have any motivation," Mutko said.

Individual Russian track and field athletes assessed as clean will be able to compete for their country in Brazil, IOC President Thomas Bach said on Tuesday, diluting the IAAF's ban.

Mutko, turning to Russia's poor showing at the Euro 2016 soccer championships in France -- where the team failed to get beyond the group stage -- said he would like coach Leonid Slutski -- who has expressed a wish to step down -- to continue in his role.

"I would like him to continue working, but this is a question for him. We have discussed the outcome of the championship in great detail," Mutko said.

"I will give him a break of a few days, and will speak to him once again."

Slutski, who is also head coach of Russian champions CSKA Moscow, replaced Italian Fabio Capello in August 2015 and revived a team that had looked in danger of failing to qualify.





(Reporting by Parniyan Zemaryalai and Mikhail Antonov, writing by Vladimir Soldatkin; editing by John Stonestreet)


Share

2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world