Matytsin is the elected President of FISU, but stood aside last year for the duration of doping sanctions preventing any Russian Government officials from holding a position at an international governing body that is a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Agency Code.

Since then, Russian and Belarusian athletes have been excluded from FISU competitions including the Winter World University Games in Lake Placid in January due to the war in Ukraine, but a decision has yet to be taken for the delayed Summer edition in Chengdu.

Yekaterinburg had been due to stage the 2023 Summer World University Games, but had its hosting rights suspended due to the war in Ukraine, leading to the Chinese city of Chengdu stepping in.

Chengdu had originally been due to stage the multi-sport event in 2021, but COVID-19 restrictions led to two postponements.

Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine which has led to Russia and Belarus being largely frozen out of international sport, Beijing and Moscow continue to enjoy a broadly cooperative relationship.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was only permitted to attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing following an invite from his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

Russia invaded Ukraine four days after the Closing Ceremony of the Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital, and Beijing was forced to deny suggestions that it had asked for what Moscow describes as a "special military operation" to be delayed until after the conclusion of the Games.

Matytsin claimed during a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui that he has sought support from officials in China for the participation of Russian athletes, and suggested that their exclusion would be detrimental to the event.

"The Universiade will be held in Chengdu," he said, as reported by Russian official state news agency TASS.

"The situation is not easy, so we would like to ask for your support in terms of the participation of the Russian delegation in the framework of the years of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the field of sports.

"Without the Russians, the competition will be completely inferior."

Under the plans announced in March 2021, Matytsin would "not act as FISU President, fulfil any of the roles, responsibilities or duties of the FISU President, sit on FISU’s Boards or Committees, or otherwise act as a FISU representative" until the expiration of doping sanctions on December 17 this year.

FISU secretary general Eric Saintrond insisted that a decision on the participation of Russia and Belarus would be taken only by the governing body.

"FISU is the owner of the games and the participation of the nations in the Games in Chengdu is the full responsibility of FISU," the Belgian official told insidethegames.

Earlier this month, Saintrond said "we have to wait a couple of months and then we will have to take a final decision for the Russian athletes probably in February or March".

Swiss official Leonz Eder has served as FISU Acting President since Matytsin stepped aside.

Although the elected President is scheduled to return on December 17, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has cast doubt over those plans.

An Extraordinary General Assembly has been scheduled by FISU for December 17.

The Chengdu 2023 FISU Games are due to take place from July 28 to August 8.