Russia fails to recognize cricket as a sport

Despite being followed by billions of people from around the world, the government of Russia refused to recognize cricket as a sport.

This comes after the Russia's sports ministry refused to include cricket on its register of officially recognized sports.

"This time we didn't fully prepare the documents, there were some technical issues. We need to open more regional affiliations. Right now there are around 20 and we need 48," Moscow Cricket Federation member Aleskandr Sokorin said, quoted Russia Today.

"Over the next year, we plan to open the remaining regional affiliations and again send an application. Right now they haven't recognized us because of this technicality, but next year everything should be fine," Sokorin added.

In a country that recognizes peculiar sports such as footgolf, sports yoga, model plane flying as sports, excluding cricket come as surprise, as the game is followed by over 2 billion people all over the world.