2 min readNew DelhiUpdated: May 1, 2026 11:07 PM ISTAction from the Russian Athletics Championships. (Photo credit: Russian Athletics)Russian Athletics Federation (RusAF) on Friday announced a ‘long-term cooperation’ plan with the Athletics Federation of India (AFI); however, AFI officials said that there hasn’t been a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed yet.RusAF took to Instagram to announce the collaboration after Executive Director Boris Yaryshevsky and General Secretary Alexander Georgadze visited India and met AFI officials.“Russian athletes will be able to compete in national competitions in India, while Indian athletes in several disciplines will have the opportunity to train in Russia. Coaches, in turn, will be able to exchange experience,” RusAF said.“We are laying the foundation for long-term cooperation. We have agreed on mutual participation of Russian and Indian athletes in competitions, the organisation of joint training camps in Russia, and strengthening efforts to develop grassroots sport,” Yaryshevsky was quoted in the same post.However, an AFI official confirmed that there was no specific arrangement and it was part of the larger arrangement.“There is No MOU with AFI. We are part of BRICS. It’s a larger partnership arrangement. The doping-related ban was lifted in 2022, and the present ban is due to the war against Ukraine. For which Indian has taken a neutral stand at the UN. AFI is bound and guided by our Government’s policies. India took part in BRICS Games 2024 in Kazan, sending a 142-member delegation and won 29 medals, including three bronze medals in athletics,” an AFI official said.RusAF was banned by World Athletics in 2015 November due to evidence of widespread, systematic and state-sponsored doping. Yesterday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that its ‘Operation LIMS’ probe has resulted in 302 sanctions against 291 Russian athletes, with 11 athletes receiving two sanctions each for separate violations. The investigation was based on data and samples retrieved from the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory in 2019.Story continues below this adWhile World Athletics lifted the ban in 2023, the athletes are still excluded from international competitions because of a separate ban over the invasion of Ukraine. © The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:AFIAthletics Federation of IndiaAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement