How Russia plays sports chess. The return of the king and a trembling hand when voting
The former deputy prime minister of Russia manages world chess. An oligarch close to Vladimir Putin will probably return to rule the fencing industry. In addition, one of the candidates for the new president of the International Olympic Committee announces that Russia will be suspended if it wins the elections. Is world sport facing the return of Russians?
Sports sanctions against Russia are working. They’re not perfect, but they’re definitely painful. A handful of Russian athletes registered at the Paris Olympics – and under a pastel green, neutral flag. Russian players play image-humiliating matches against rivals from the bottom of the FIFA rankings. And attempts to retaliate against the West and organize their own, supposedly competitive events end in farce.
Recently, Vladimir Putin went to Ufa to take part in the forum “Russia – a sports power”, where he announced the reactivation of the Soviet tradition of sports parades on Red Square. But although no one in the Kremlin is talking about it, what is much more awaited is the return to competition of Russian athletes, who have been a strong card in the propaganda deck since Soviet times.
The return of the king
