World Beach Games main focus rather than Summer Olympic bid, insists Russian Sports Minister

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has ruled out a bid from Russia for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in the near future ©Getty Images

Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has claimed Russia’s focus remains on future major sporting events they are due to host, such as the World Beach Games in 2019, rather than bidding for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Sochi was surprisingly announced as the host for the first World Beach Games by SportAccord President Marius Vizer at the SportAccord Convention in the Russian coastal resort last month, while the world's largest nation is also set to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup and the Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk in 2019.

St Petersburg will also stage matches at the 2020 UEFA European Championships, while a variety of other World Championships have already been awarded, including this summer's International Swimming Federation World Championships in Kazan.

Mutko’s comments appear the final death knoll to any prospect of a Russia bid for the 2024 Olympics, after St Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko suggested his city could put forward a candidacy last year.

Five cities so far are interested in staging the 2024 event, with bids from Budapest and Paris expected to join the confirmed candidacies from Hamburg, Italian capital Rome and American contender, Boston.

“So far, Russia has no plans to take part in the bidding for the Summer Olympic Games,” Mutko said.

“We held the Winter Games in Sochi and our main task at present is to hold the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and the Universiade in Krasnoyarsk in 2019.

"Integrated big games we do not plan, except [the] Beach Games."

Russia was awarded the right to host the 2018 World Cup back in December 2010 ©Getty Images

Given the economic problems seen this year as a consequence of falling oil prices and the impact of Western sanctions, a 2024 Olympic bid had not been expected, but the focus on the World Beach Games, an event many see as still up in the air given the uncertain future of SportAccord, is interesting.

This follows the critical words of Vizer about the International Olympic Committee and its President, Thomas Bach, an outburst which provoked much opposition, with governing bodies for archery, athletics, canoeing and shooting resigning from SportAccord as a consequence.

The Beach Games, set to follow the success of similar continental events such as the Asian Beach Games, were first announced as a collaboration between SportAccord and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC), who are yet to announce whether they still support the event in Sochi, claiming instead they have "exciting plans" to reveal next month.

It remains possible ANOC could organise a rival Games somewhere else, although Mutko's words suggest the Russians will lobby hard to keep the inaugural event in Sochi.