The closing ceremony of this year’s BRICS Sports Games, which took place in Kazan, the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, was held on 23 June. Over the course of 12 days, athletes from 90 countries won 387 sets of medals in 27 disciplines at 17 venues, setting new records for each of these indicators compared to previous years. This article will examine the role of the BRICS Games in international relations and the reasons behind their growing popularity in the international arena.
BACKGROUND The idea of organizing sporting competitions between the member countries of the economic union was first voiced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Back in 2014, Mr. Modi proposed «developing mechanisms to strengthen cooperation and competition in sports», which could become «a reliable basis for the development of international relations».
In 2016, the under-17 football championship was held for the first time in the history of the Games, confirming the viability of the proposal. The following year, the BRICS Games were held in several stages and the number of sports disciplines was increased to three, with the addition of volleyball and basketball to the programme. At the same time, a proposal was put forth to include national sports in the main programme of the competition. In China this was wushu-taolu, while in South Africa it was netball.
As a result, the participating countries established a consistent pattern of developing annual multidisciplinary competitions with an emphasis on the regional context, bringing cultural and humanitarian ties between the countries to a whole new level.
INFLUENCE ON THE SPORTING COMMUNITY In line with established tradition, the competition was timed to coincide with the next BRICS Summit, chaired this year by the Russian Federation. The very format of this association presupposes a lively exchange of views between heads of state, parliamentarians and non-governmental organizations on current political, economic and cultural issues. In this context, the Games of the same name are not a “supplement to the Summit”, but a link between the representatives of the participating countries and all those who wish to take part in the discussion.
The association, which was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China as BRIC (and due to the South Africa accession renamed to «BRICS» in 2010 ) has been based on openness, trust, constructive engagement and, just as importantly, mutual respect among the members from its inception. The equality established as the basis for the annual meetings ensures that no country has a superior position, preventing any member from being privileged over another.
The same principles are fully reflected in the Games, which are open to any athlete from any country in the world. It is also worth noting that 4,751 athletes participated in the BRICS Games – 2024, including representatives from Great Britain, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, South Korea, Romania, and other countries from the list of unfriendly countries. The countries that demonstrated traditional loyalty not only to Russia but to the other BRICS members took part in the event without a hitch. Their interest in the Games is growing, especially due to the unclusion of new disciplines to the programme.
It is curious that even in the “postpan-demic” year of 2022, when the strict sanitary restrictions had already been lifted but the risk of a renewed pandemic was still in place chess, wushu and breakdancing tournaments were held online. This demonstrated once again the flexibility and adapt-ability of the Games, emphasising their openness to athletes and spectators from all over the world.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE OLYMPICS At the opening ceremony of the competition on June 12, 2024. Vladimir Putin the President of the Russian Federation spoke of the special status of the BRICS Games in the context of the current political agenda as well as their cultural
significance. Addressing the audience, he stressed that the distinctive BRICS Games reflect the spirit and character of the alliance of sovereign countries itself, based on equality, trust and respect to each other’s interests. «The BRICS Games are free from political interference and pressure – these competitions truly unite athletes from around the world,» the President said.
Dean of the Faculty of Journalism of the Belarusian State University and political scientist Aleksei Belyaev said on Alfa Radio’s talk show “Budni” on June 18, 2024: «The BRICS Games are not a full analogue of the Olympic Games and their substitute, but they are a good place to demonstrate the possibility of pure sport. Here we see equal struggle, equal competitions. It should also be noted that despite the unfriendliness of a number of states towards the countries of the economic alliance, in particular Russia, where the Games are being held, representatives of some European countries have also come».
BUT WHAT DO THE ATHLETES THEMSELVES SAY?
Among the athletes, opinions about the BRICS Games were divided. Some participants stressed that the Games were not inferior to international competitions in terms of organization, general atmosphere and fairness of jjudging. Others (quite rightly) emphasized the lack of strong competition.
«We always tune in the same way. We try to show the best run of our programme. So it doesn’t matter to us how many competitors we have at a particular start. We don’t even look at the scores, we look at the quality of the programme, its perception, the emotions it evokes. What kind of response it gives to the viewer.
That is the main criterion for us. And I am quite satisfied with myself, we can say that everything worked out,», Alexander Maltsev, Merited Master of Sports, four-time World Cham pion and six-time European Champion in mixed duet synchronised swimming, who won two gold medals in the individual programme but was the only one on the podium on the day, told Sport-Express.
Winner of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics gymnast David Belyavsky, who did not win a medal at this year’s BRICS Games noted noted the excellent organization of the competition: «As soon as we arrived, we immediately felt that this was a serious tournament. We were warmly welcomed at the airport and taken to the athletes’ village. There were BRICS Games symbols everywhere. I have been to a lot of competitions, including international ones, and not everywhere they prepare and greet you in such a way.».
«This city hosts amazing competitions », said South Africa’s 200 metres silver medallist Letlhogonolo Lucky Vfkhethe. «They have a great atmosphere. Maybe there could have been more people in the stands, but overall everything is great. I also liked Kazan a lot. I have heard that it is called the sports capital of Russia and I can agree with that…».
It should be noted that the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan excelled both in terms of hosting athletes and roviding venues. The vast majority of competitions were held at the Water Sports Palace, the Tatneft Arena Ice Palace, the Tular Universal Sports Complex, the Kazan Tennis Academy and the Federal Gymnastics Training Centre.
No less importantly, by the time of the BRICS Games – 2024, all sports facilities were fully operational. This demonstrates the city’s high level of readiness to host world-class multidisciplinary competitions. We can now confirm that all stages of the Games were successful, providing an invaluable experience for the athletes who participated for the first time.
COMPETING FOR VIEWERS’ ATTENTION When assessing audience engagement in the competition, it is worth considering the fact that the BRICS Games – 2024 took place alongside the European Football Championship and in the run-up to the Summer Olympics in Paris. In the first case, the attention of the fans was focused (not surprisingly) on the qualifying matches of the championship, which is one of the most eagerly awaited events not only in our country, but also in the whole world. In the case of the Olympics, the situation is different: many prominent athletes, who had no other obvious reason to avoid the BRICS Games, decided to save their strength for the performances that will begin after 26 July. It should also be mentioned that the BRICS Games are not a direct competitor to the Olympics, European and world football championships, or other sporting events important for the masses, at least not yet. Competitions “embedded” in the broad agenda of the BRICS summit are nothing but an additional factor contributing to the development of the idea of cultural exchange and the expansion of diplomatic relations through the language of fair sport.
It is worth remembering the original goals of the Olympic Movement – to put sport at the service of the harmonious development of humanity and to create a peaceful society with human dignity at its core. In a sense, the BRICS Games and the people behind them have all the tools – both economic and political – to put the true spirit of sport on the right track for the people of all countries.
Given the growing attention of the world community and the interest of the athletes themselves, it is reasonable to assume that the BRICS Games will soon be followed more closely, meaning that other competitions (most notably the Olympics) risk losing their status as major world sporting events over time.
CONCLUSIONS AND WISHES As of 23 June, Russia had won 262 gold, 141 silver and 99 bronze medals in the medal count, making it the undisputed leader of this year’s BRICS Games. Second and third places went to Belarus (247 medals iumulatively) and China (62 medals), far ahead of their strong competitors Uzbekistan and Brazil. In total, athletes from 34 countries, i.e. about half of all participants, were honoured with medals.
In accordance with the organizers’ plan, the closing ceremony of the Games, which took place in the settlement of Mirny, was intended to serve as a continuation of cultural exchange between the countries. Guests and competitors were invited to celebrate the traditional Tatar holiday Sabantuy.
A day before the celebration, Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, addressed the participants of the event: «Sabantuy reveals the brightest colours of the rich culture and traditions of our people. I warmly congratulate you on the Tatar national holiday of Sabantuy! This year, the BRICS Games Closing Ceremony will also be held on the colourful Sabantuy Maidan. See you at the celebration, friends!».
The point of attraction of the holiday was the concert «Colours of Sabantuy» with the participation of Elmira Kalimullina, People’s Artist of Tatarstan, the State Chamber Choir of the Republic, and artists of the Kamalovsky and Kariyev theatres.
Director Aidar Zabbarov, scriptwriter Ruzal Mukhametshin, choreographer Chulpan Zakirova and composer AlmazAskhadullin helped to organize the concert at the highest level. The Games did not end there. On the closing day, the finals in the breakdancing and breakdancing team competitions were held in Moscow. Athletes from more than 20 countries from around the world, including Russia, China, Brazil, Argentina and Germany, took part in these tournaments.
In conclusion, the BRICS Games have proved to be a fair competition where every athlete from every country is given equal opportunities and conditions. Moreover, the Games have become an excellent platform for aspiring athletes, who had a great opportunity to compete against renowned competitors.
We can only hope that the format of the Games will continue to evolve in the years to come and that the spirit of competition will attract more and more countries – for the sake of a happier and fairer future!