The Chairman of the High Council of the Russian Handball Federation mentioned that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) plans to allow a limited number of athletes from Russia and Belarus to participate. They are required to compete in a neutral status with a specially designed anthem and flag. However, this does not apply to team sports.
“Projecting this situation onto handball and understanding that without the Russian women’s team, which is the champion and runner-up of the last two Olympics, the results fundamentally cannot be considered objective. Norway, France, Denmark, and other strong teams have just received a bonus, as their main competitor was eliminated from their path by non-sporting methods”, lamented the Vice President of the ROC.
At the same time, Sergey Shishkaryov has no doubt that the Russian women’s team could have contended for gold medals in France. According to him, the coaching staff currently has a balanced team composed of both experienced and talented young players.
As for the men’s team, they would also have had bright prospects at the 2024 Olympic Games if allowed to participate. Especially since the team has made significant progress recently. Sergey Shishkaryov reminded that two years ago, the Russian men’s handball team performed brilliantly at the European Championship in Slovakia and continues to maintain a high level. According to him, the current team is fully capable of being among the top ten strongest teams in the world.
The Chairman of the High Council of the Russian Handball Federation expressed confidence that being barred from the Olympic Games in Paris will not break our athletes. On the contrary, they will become even stronger and will surely prove themselves at major international competitions in the future.
Since 2015, Delo Group has been a sponsor of the Russian Handball Federation. Sergey Shishkaryov, the founder and chairman of the Board of Directors of Delo Group, heads the Russian Handball Federation, serves as the Vice President of the Russian Olympic Committee, and is a member of the Council under the President of the Russian Federation for the Development of Physical Culture and Sports. The group actively supports domestic sports by implementing projects in professional and children’s sports at the national and club levels, contributing to the development of handball in Russia.