Dmitry Chernyshenko will lead the Organising Committee for SportAccord 2021 ©KHL

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko has been appointed Organising Committee chair for the SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit in Yekaterinburg.

Chernyshenko previously served as President and chief executive of Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

He later served as President of the Kontinental Hockey League, before becoming a Deputy Prime Minister last year.

Chernyshenko’s appointment was confirmed by Russian state news agency TASS.

Russia’s Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin will serve as deputy chair of the Organising Committee, with First Deputy Minister of Sports Azat Kadyrov appointed as secretary.

Matytsin also leads the International University Sports Federation (FISU), who signed on as a gold partner for the event back in August.

Yekaterinburg will also host the FISU Summer World University Games in 2023.

The 2021 SportAccord World Sport and Business Summit is due to take place from May 23 to 28.

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has reportedly suggested the event may be moved to the autumn ©Getty Images
Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has reportedly suggested the event may be moved to the autumn ©Getty Images

Matytsin reportedly told TASS that the date of the summit could move to the autumn, amid the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 edition of SportAccord, initially scheduled to be held in Beijing in China and then in Lausanne in Switzerland, was cancelled due to the pandemic.

The General Assemblies of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations and Global Association of International Sports Federations, which traditionally take place during the summit.

The summit is considered one of the major meetings within the Olympic Movement.