Funds freed due to cancellation of int'l competitions in Russia to be spent on building sports facilities at home - Deputy PM Chernyshenko

MOSCOW. March 2 (Interfax) - The Russian Sports Ministry is discussing the organization of joint events with member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the BRICS association, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the wake of the cancellation of a number of major sports tournaments in Russia, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said at a Sports Ministry board meeting.

"The funds and fees that have become available after the unilateral cancellation of competitions in Russian territory should be redirected to building our sports infrastructure. The funds that have become available will be spent on constructing sports infrastructure facilities within a walking distance," Chernyshenko said.

"We see that federations have lately been changing the venues of competitions on their own. In the current situation, we will attach a lot of attention to preparing events together with our partners from CIS, BRICS, and SCO countries," he said.