Moscow, Apr 11 (IANS): Russia will be ready to host tournaments, including Olympic qualifiers that have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the country's Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin said on Friday.

"Russia will be ready and we have forwarded our proposals to Russian national sports federations for them to get in touch with the international federations to offer them assistance with the cancelled tournaments, particularly with the qualifying tournaments for the 2021 Olympics," Matysin is quoted as saying by Russian news agency TASS.

"Russia is ready to extend a helping hand to organise sports tournaments in our country."

Since the start of the year, a number of Olympic qualifiers, many of whom were to be hosted in China, have been shifted or postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus at different levels around the world.

While Matystin has expressed confidence in Russia's ability to host events, the country has not been spared from the brunt of the virus.

Nearly 12,000 cases of infection and 100 deaths have been reported from the country due to the novel virus that has brought the world of sports to a halt. Last month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) finally announced the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics. The Games will now start on July 23, 2021.