From June 11 to 24, Kazan will host the BRICS Games, an international multi-sport event that will bring together about 5,000 athletes from the countries of the association and invited states. Bricsik the leopard has been chosen as the mascot of the Games. The programme includes not only sports competitions and a meeting of BRICS sports ministers, but also a summit of partner ministers. It is noted that 380 sets of awards will be competed for in Kazan.
Countries participating in the BRICS Games
In the year of Russia’s chairmanship in BRICS, the large-scale competitions will be held in an open format – the awards will be given not only to athletes from the BRICS member states. The list of BRICS Games participants includes more than 50 countries, including Kazakhstan, Turkey, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela, Bahrain, Congo and others.
“The BRICS 2024 Sports Games will definitely go down not only in the history of sports cooperation between the countries of the association, but also in the history of international sports development. A summit of ministers and sports officials from the ten BRICS countries will be held in Kazan from 21-22 June in an open format during the competition. It is possible that Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin will talk about a new format of their organisation and financing among important constructive proposals for further development of the Games”
Valery Krylov, Sports expert
BRICS Games 2024: Sports
In 2023, the participants of the Games in South Africa’s Durban competed in only six disciplines: tennis, badminton, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, and sports for people with mobility impairments. Around 450 athletes aged 19 to 21 from South Africa, Russia, China, India and Brazil competed back then.
In 2024, there will be 29 disciplines. The international competition in Kazan promises to be one of the most unconventional sporting events of the year. Among the traditional disciplines there will also be unusual ones, emphasizing the cultural diversity of the BRICS countries. Among them:
- belt wrestling;
- koresh wrestling;
- sambo;
- wushu.
The competition programme also included acrobatic rock and roll, breaking, karate, table tennis, diving, artistic gymnastics, fencing, rhythmic gymnastics, beach volleyball, beach handball, canoeing, badminton, equestrian sport, tennis, basketball, football, boxing, rowing, synchronised swimming, weightlifting, heavy & light athletics, wrestling, chess.
“One of the features of these Games is that in addition to the traditional Olympic disciplines, the organisers of the event have included acrobatic rock ‘n’ roll, breaking, basketball and football double-header, for example. This points to Russia’s desire to expand the boundaries of sport through integration with culture, music and art”
Sergey Skorokhodov, Expert in Brazilian culture
The government has already prepared a draft decree on payments to Russian winners and medalists of the BRICS Games. According to the document, gold medal winners will receive 358,400 rubles (US$3028) each, silver medallists – 179,200 rubles (US$1964), and bronze medallists will pay 107,500 rubles (US$1178).
Features of the organisation of the BRICS 2024 Sports Games in Kazan
In May 2023, Vladimir Putin instructed to submit proposals for the organisation of the BRICS Games. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was put in charge. In September 2023, it became known that the Ministry of Finance allocated 1.29 billion rubles (US$14 138) for the event.
At the forum “We are together. Sport”, which was held in Moscow in mid-April, it was said that all 18 venues that will be involved in the competition are at the stage of final preparation. One of them is in Moscow, 17 are in the capital of Tatarstan.
“Russia has a great successful experience of organising and hosting major sporting events. Earlier this year, the Future Games were held in Kazan, and the Friendship Games are scheduled for September. The BRICS Games are yet another fact confirming that Russia is a sporting power,” said Sergey Skorokhodov.
In the capital of Tatarstan, the Central Stadium, Kazan Tennis Academy, Boxing and Table Tennis Centre, Aquatics Palace, “Ak Bars” Wrestling Palace, “B. Rameev IT Park” Technopark for High Technologies, Gymnastics Centre, Rowing Sports Centre, Beach Sports Centre, LDS “Tatneft Arena”, “URAM” Youth Extreme Park, Volleyball Centre, “Kazan Expo”, Badminton Centre, “Tulpar” Sports Complex, “Burevestnik” Sports Complex will be used.
The closing ceremony of the Games will be combined with the national Tatar holiday Sabantui so that representatives of foreign countries could learn about the rich traditions of one of Russia’s regions.
African Times published this article in partnership with International Media Network TV BRICS
