The Russian government has introduced special rules governing the use of the words “Olympic,” “Paralympic,” and “Deaflympic” in the names of sports schools and organizations in the occupied parts of Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions.
The decree, dated Oct. 15, was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Under the document, sports schools established in the occupied territories will be allowed to use Olympic-related names provided that they meet a set of special requirements.
At least 60% of their athletes must train in Olympic sports or disciplines recognized by the International Olympic Committee and practiced in at least 75 Russian regions. At least 15% of the schools’ students also must be training at advanced or elite levels of athletic development. The organization must also have trained at least one athlete who has competed in Russian national championships or nationwide “Spartakiads,” and coaches in the relevant disciplines must be employed there as their primary place of work.
Similar requirements apply to organizations using the words “Paralympic” and “Deaflympic,” adjusted for the relevant sports and competitions.
An exception, however, applies to sports schools that were already using such names before Russian law was extended to the occupied territories.
Those organizations will be allowed to apply to retain their existing names without proving that they meet the requirements listed above. They will need to submit information about the organization and an extract from Russia’s Unified State Register of Legal Entities.
Applications will be reviewed by Russia’s regional sports authorities. When deciding whether an organization may use an Olympic-related name, officials will have to seek the opinion of the Russian Olympic Committee, Russian Paralympic Committee, or Russian Deaflympic Committee, depending on the designation requested.
