The countries boycotting Beijing Olympics should be stripped of national symbols

Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government, believes that the national teams of the countries whose leaders announced the diplomatic boycott of the Olympic Games in Beijing should be stripped of national symbols.

Chernyshenko thus urged the national teams of the USA, Australia, Great Britain and Canada should be stripped of their flags. These countries have announced the diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. Official representatives for those states will refuse to attend the competitions in China.

“Everyone who boycotts should be deprived of the flag, the anthem and other national symbols,” Chernyshenko said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the decision of the United States to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing is based on Washington’s ambition to contain China’s development. In his opinion, sport should unite peoples, but some countries use it for political purposes.

The Winter Olympics in Beijing will be held on February 4-20. Russia will perform at the Games in a neutral status due to the sanctions of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Russia should apply to host 2036 Olympics

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko also said that Russia should apply to host the Summer Olympics in 2036. Such cities as Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Vladivostok could host the Games, he added.

“I believe it is imperative to apply for the 2036 Summer Games. We have to choose, we have a number of world-class cities that are ready to host the Games: Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Vladivostok,” Chernyshenko said at a briefing at the coordination center of the Russian government, TASS reports.

According to Chernyshenko, Russia is capable of hosting the Olympics.

“I think that we should prepare. I will ask the Ministry of Sports, together with the Russian Olympic Committee, to arrange this work. We will wait for the International Olympic Committee to announce the start of the application campaign,” the official added.