The SCO, a political, economic, international security and defence organisation, consists of Russia, China, India, Pakistan and the Central Asian former Soviet states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Iran is in the process of joining, and currently one of three observers, along with Belarus - Russia's main ally in the war in Ukraine - Afghanistan and Mongolia.

An additional nine countries are dialogue partners.

Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested at a summit in the Uzbek city of Samarkand in September that the SCO could create an Association of Sports Organisations and stage "major sporting events".

This was against the backdrop of Russia and Belarus being largely frozen out of international sport since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recommendations on the non-participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes remain in place, but it has vowed to "explore a pathway" for their return under a neutral banner.

Sanctions including a ban on Russia and Belarus' national symbols would remain in place.

The IOC withdrew the Olympic Order from three Russian Government officials including Putin after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Khakimov revealed that work remained ongoing to establish an Association, and claimed the SCO members opposed the IOC's measures taken in response to the war in Ukraine.

"Now work is underway to implement this idea," he said, as reported by Russia's official state news agency TASS.

"In principle, the reaction of the partners is positive, we are expected to make appropriate conceptual considerations, as is customary in the SCO.

"Member states oppose violations of the principles of Olympism, and this is a clear common position.

"At the same time, partners, and this is logical, would not like to be the objects of some unfriendly, albeit indirect, actions.

"All these nuances must be taken into account in the work to create conditions for promoting cooperation in this area, given the unifying power of sport."

Russian officials have spoken of the need to create sports alliances with allies, including SCO members and the BRICS alliance with Brazil, India, China and South Africa.

Plans by the IOC for the return of Russian and Belarusian athletes to competitions have proved divisive and sparked an angry response in Ukraine, while a group of 30 nations have called for clarification on the definition of neutrality.