MOSCOW: Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russia and former organiser of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, has responded sharply to comments by IOC president Thomas Bach at the G20 summit of world leaders in Indonesia.

Bach had reiterated how the Olympic governing body had “condemned and sanctioned the Russian government in an unprecedented way for [its] blatant violation of the Olympic Charter.”

However Chernyshenko complained that Bach was muddling politics and sport.

He said: “The statement from the head of the IOC claiming that international sport should not become a tool for achieving political goals is far from sincere.

“Bach’s performance at the G20 is little more than a facade, an attempt to veil ongoing and clear politically motivated acts by the IOC.”

Chernyshenko went on to complain about the suspensions of some Russian competitors from international competitions and Bach’s “behind the scenes” lobbying for federations are amending their charters to allow for the further exclusions of Russian sports federations.

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