Russia has sent a total team of 48 athletes to the event taking place in capital city Caracas after an invitation from Venezuelan Sports Minister Mervin Maldonado. 

"It is a great honour for us to raise the flag of Russia at the ALBA Games," said Ninosca Klasier, chairman of the National Institute of Sports of Venezuela, as reported by Russian state-run news agency TASS.

Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov and Deputy Sports Minister Alexei Morozov, who is leading the Russian delegation at the event, were made guests of honour at the Opening Ceremony.

"Russia has been invited to the ALBA Games as a special guest," Melik-Bagdasarov said, as reported by TASS.

"Until the end of April, our athletes will take part in competitions in table tennis, boxing, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, weightlifting, beach volleyball."

He emphasised that in Venezuela, the Russians will perform under the national flag "for the first time since the start of an aggressive Western campaign to cancel Russian sports."

The Games are scheduled to begin tomorrow and run until April 29 in the South American country with approximately 3,500 athletes from 11 countries competing in 35 sports.

In addition to Russia and the hosts, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and St Lucia are due to take part.

Russia's invitation came as part of a sporting agreement between the country and Venezuela which was signed in October 2021.

Most of the sporting world moved to ban Russia following Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, although the International Olympic Committee has recommended that individual athletes should be allowed to return as neutrals.

In Russia, there has been talk of creating new events so they can participate, including one for countries that are members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.