MADRID, February 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's top sports official has been left facing a predicament after the nation's Olympic committee refused to grant him accreditation to visit Russian athletes at their base for the Turin Games.
"I do not understand the reasons behind this decision," said an astonished Vyacheslav Fetisov, the head of the Federal Agency for Physical Culture and Sport, prior to leaving for the 2006 Winter Olympics.
It is not the first time that Fetisov, who is regarded as the country's unofficial sports minister, has been denied contact with Russian athletes in the Olympic Village. He was refused accreditation during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and had to meet with athletes outside sports facilities.
A spokesman for the Russian Olympics Committee said earlier that Fetisov, a two-time hockey gold medalist who enjoys enormous respect in the sporting community, had been given a choice.
"Fetisov was given accreditation that corresponded to his post as sports minister with a right to an accompanying aide," Gennady Shvets said. "He could have chosen a working accreditation, instead, [which does not restrict access to sports facilities], but he would have been left without the accompanying person."
An assistant to Fetisov said the agency head was not criticizing the committee for the decision, but was surprised to be asked to take responsibility as a co-head of the Russian Olympic delegation even though he would be unable to fulfill his duties because of the limits imposed on right to meet sportsmen and women.
"He does not have access to locker rooms," Dmitry Tugarin said. "To visit the Olympic village he has to submit a request 24 hours in advance. How can Fetisov work in such conditions and help our team?"
The 377-member Russian delegation to the 2006 Olympics, which open in Italy Friday, includes 178 athletes.
