The Second Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum, which will take place on 27–28 July in St. Petersburg, will provide a platform to enhance international communications in sport.
“Uniting people is one of the fundamental missions of sport, and it should remain so regardless of the situation in the world. With the support of Roscongress, the Forum will serve as a platform for the presentation of the World Friendship Games and other sports projects. This will create fresh opportunities for engaging in dialogue with counterparts from African countries, including sports ministries, Olympic committees, and sports federations. A rich sports programme has also been prepared for the Forum participants,” said Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the Organizing Committee for the preparation and holding of events for the Russia–Africa format.
On 27 July at 09:00, a session titled Sport: A Bridge of Friendship between Russia and Africa will be held, featuring Russian Minister of Sport Oleg Matytsin, President of the International Boxing Association Umar Kremlev, President of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Irina Viner, and President of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov. Additionally, Ministers of Sport and Heads of National Olympic Committees from African countries will also participate in the event.
The new flagship sports project, the World Friendship Games, which Russia will host in September 2024, will be showcased at the Forum’s pavilion commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Ministry of Sport.
The Russian Olympic Committee is set to sign cooperation agreements with counterparts from the National Olympic Committees of Mali, Namibia, and Eswatini.
Three-time Olympic synchronized swimming champion Svetlana Kolesnichenko will lead the warm-up session for participants at the “We Are Starting” race, marking the opening of the Forum’s first day. The race is scheduled to commence at 06:30 in Primorsky Victory Park. Participants can register for the event in their personal accounts. This is the third race in the Time to Act series, an initiative organized by RC Sport, the sports platform of the Roscongress Foundation, and the League of Heroes, with the support of the Ministry of Sport.
Russian and African football legends are set to join Forum participants at the Gazprom Arena for a gala match, organized by the Russian Football Union (RFU). Additionally, participants of the Forum will have the opportunity to visit the RFU stand at ExpoForum.
Teams from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, and Mali will participate in the Russia–Africa International Football Tournament among student teams. The sports programme will also feature a diplomats’ match, where employees from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African embassies will compete.
The events are supported by the general partners of the Russia–Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum: Gazprom, Gazprombank, Rosatom, Uralchem, and Uralkali. Strategic Partner: Rosseti. Partners: LUKOIL, NOVATEK, and Sberbank. National Partner: AVTOVAZ. Organizational Partners: African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Russian Export Centre.
