African countries remain partners of Russia in the field of sports, and cooperation with them should be further strengthened, head of the Russian Ministry of Sports, Oleg Matytsin said.
"Africa is a very important continent, a partner. We see potential in the development of education, in inviting specialists to Russia, and, of course, in the development of communication through federations and through the state, and not only in professional sports," the minister told reporters.
The sports minister also mentioned the Olympics, stating that Russia continues to cooperate with all countries in this field.
"Of course there is progress, we are developing, we are together, we continue to develop cooperation with all countries. The most important thing is to create a competitive environment here, with us, to strengthen our sports calendar, to expand cooperation with other agencies," the official added.
Matytsin also recalled that the Russian Sports Ministry had visited a number of African countries, and called his meeting with the president and minister of sports of Senegal, which will host the Youth Games in 2026, the main one among them.
In addition to Senegal, the minister visited Benin and Togo in late April to "activate sports contacts at all levels.” The Benin visit resulted in a memorandum of understanding being signed in the field of physical culture and sports.
Matytsin then invited athletes from Senegal, Benin, and Togo to participate in the International University Sports Festival this summer in Yekaterinburg and the Games of the Future 2024, set to be held in Kazan.
In early May, the minister proposed holding the BRICS Games in 2024 in Russia, which would be "especially relevant" in view of the prospect of expanding the number of countries in the bloc.