Russia is seeking to re-enter international sports competitions after being largely exiled from events following the recommendation by the International Olympic Committee to ban the country for its invasion of Ukraine.

In the view of Matytsin, Russia could return to sport events through forming closer ties to the four BRICS countries as well as those part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Members of the SCO include Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.

"We’re working on various formats with the BRICS and SCO countries, four billion people live there, this is not an alternative to the World Championships, but new formats," Matytsin said at the Russian Athletics Championships in Cheboksary.

"I think that in any case, this period [of Russians being banned] will not last long, world sport will not be able to live without Russian athletes for a long time."

Russia’s exclusion has caused national tennis athletes Andrey Rublev and Daria Kasatkina to consider changing their citizenship.

Both competitors are opposed to the war in Ukraine.

The Kremlin has dismissed claims from some political figures that such a move would be equivalent to treason.

Matytsin has also rubbished the potential of Russian athletes in their numbers switching their allegiance.

"I’m not afraid that they will change citizenship, I see no objective reasons," he said.

"Prize money is not a panacea for everything, the system that we have in Russian sports involves not only prize money, but also social guarantees, training opportunities, and so on.

"But I don’t see such risks.

"We will overcome this difficult temporary period, it must be used for the development of our sports."