Russia is set to host Phygital Sports Tournament 2024 in Kazan, Russia, involving physical and digital sports at a single platform.

The event scheduled from February 23 to March 3 in Kazan, Russia, will be the first of its kind, claimed Anton Maslov, the first secretary of Russian Embassy in Nepal at a press conference on Friday.

“We are in discussions with the officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS) regarding the Nepali team’s participation in the games,” Maslov added.

The event being organised by the government of Russia will have 16 disciplines of sports, according to the official website of the game. The players competing in a discipline of a game must participate in both virtual and physical versions of the game, said Alexander Ivashev, an attaché in the embassy of Russia.

“To be eligible for participation, players must demonstrate a willingness to compete in the event and possess proficiency in their respective disciplines. It's open to all players throughout the world,” said Ivashev.

Each team needs to submit an online registration for the game and the organisers will select the teams on the basis of their skills. A test event will be organised in June for qualification into the finals.

Apart from athletes of Russia, players from different countries, including China, Cambodia, Chile, Argentina and Belarus will participate in the event, said Ivashev.

The event carries a total cash prize of $25 million and the winners of football, basketball, hockey and racing will bag a purse of $1 million each. The winners of esports games DOTA2, and the League of Legends will carry a prize of $3 million each.

The organisers will cover all expenses of the players, including their transportation and accommodation.

Russia has been suspended by different international sports bodies due to the Russia-Ukraine war. However, the Russian embassy official ruled out that organising the event was a counter move by their country.

"It is not that we are organising the event because we are being boycotted at the global sporting events. It is meant to establish ties with other countries, through sports,” Ivashev added.