The extended meeting was also attended by President of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov, Head of NOC Belarus Viktor Lukashenko, Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation Alexei Morozov, Executive Director of the Russian Olympians Foundation Alexander Katushev, General Director of RUSADA Veronika Loginova, President of the Russian Union of Athletes David Musulbes, Rector of the Russian International Olympic University Lev Belousov, as well as heads and representatives of the All-Russian sports federations.
Three-time Olympic champion in synchronized swimming Alla Shishkina and Deputy General Producer of the National Sports TV Channel “Match TV” Vasily Konov, in the capacity of presenters, asked ROC President Stanislav Pozdnyakov to officially open the event.
– First of all, on behalf of the Russian Olympic Committee, I would like to greet all the athletes who are taking part in our event today, as well as members of the ROC Athletes’ Commission, which has recently been working productively for the benefit of the Russian Olympic community. With special warmth I greet and welcome our colleagues from neighbouring Belarus. Recently, our contacts in the practical sphere have been constant and quite close. We are very happy about this, because the answers to the challenges faced by the athletes of our countries require a comprehensive, unified approach.
And today’s platform is one of the opportunities to share relevant information with each other, exchange views and jointly build those areas of work that will be useful today and in the future, because, of course, our organizations are responsible for the development of Olympism. I am sure that only by joint efforts can we achieve significant results.
I would like to welcome the Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation Alexei Morozov. I would like to note that recently we have witnessed remarkable sports competitions in our country, namely the All-Russian Spartakiad. The Ministry of Sport played a crucial role in organizing this event. It is important that those athletes who are actively training and preparing for the Olympic Games in Paris today were able to utilize their potential that was gained this season.
I am very pleased that Alexander Katushev, Head of the Russian Olympians Foundation, which is one of our oldest Olympic organizations with excellent traditions, is taking part in our work today. It should be mentioned that dozens of Russian Olympians have become grant recipients with the Olympians Foundation at different times. I would also like to thank the leaders of our higher educational institutions, who have provided tremendous support in the implementation of educational programs for our athletes and coaches, as well as Nikita Mazepin, who actively took part in our joint work as part of the foundation he created, and, of course, the Russian Union of Athletes, which unites veterans of domestic sports and fulfills the important mission of uniting sports generations through constant, painstaking work.
I am sure that today’s event will be most useful for all participants. Enough time has passed for us to draw certain conclusions about the current situation, compare notes, and discuss pressing issues. Those who will take part in the deliberative sessions and in the Olympic team quiz, I have no doubt, will once again feel like one big Olympic family.
Welcome! I wish you all productive work!
The Head of NOC Belarus, Viktor Lukashenko, noted the rich program of the event.
– I am very glad that the meetings with the participation of the leading athletes of the two countries are becoming traditional. Most recently, we met in Minsk, where we were able to discuss a wide range of issues related to protecting our Olympians in this difficult time and supporting those who have retired. We are grateful to the Russian sports stars who then held master classes for Belarusian athletes. The same format, already with the participation of Belarusian athletes, is planned at present. The next two days on Russian soil will be very eventful for us.
I want to assure you that the Olympic Committees of Russia and Belarus will do everything possible to help our athletes overcome all difficulties. Although they themselves are real fighters and these difficulties only make them stronger.
The Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation Alexei Morozov said that the state intended to use the current situation to improve the sports infrastructure in the country and increase the level of organization of all-Russian competitions.
– For us, there is nothing more valuable than direct communication with athletes, coaches and specialists. The Ministry of Sport does not publicize all of its work, but believe me, every day we think about the competition calendar, the Olympic selection procedures, and Olympic licenses. We are in constant dialogue with many international organizations that also want to find a way out of this impasse.
For our part, we see sanctions as an opportunity to reconsider approaches to funding, with an emphasis on holding high-quality domestic competitions. In addition, together with colleagues from Belarus, large-scale work is underway to provide athletes with inventory and equipment. We have great opportunities in this regard.
I would also like to highlight the role of the Russian Olympic Committee in matters of personnel training for the All-Russian and regional sports federations. The implementation of educational programs at MGIMO and the RIOU with the participation of the Russian Olympians Foundation will help ensure the influx of qualified specialists into elite sports.
The Executive Director of the Russian Olympians Foundation Alexander Katushev stressed that during the existence of the organization (since 2005) tens of thousands of grants for various purposes had been issued.
– I remember very well how difficult it was for Russian sports in the mid-2000s. To solve financial problems, our Foundation was created, which exists exclusively on private donations. For more than 17 years, we have not spent a single ruble from the state budget! During this time, nine Olympic Games have been held, and every year the Foundation’s activities have improved towards the efficiency of decision-making, despite strict control. Today, two weeks is enough for us to allocate funding.
In close cooperation with the ROC and the Ministry of Sport, the Russian Olympians Foundation continues to help our athletes and national teams become stronger.
Sofya Velikaya, Chair of the ROC Athletes’ Commission, spoke about the importance of constant communication between athletes and heads of sports organizations.
– In terms of the tasks of the extended meetings of the ROC Athletes’ Commission, we wanted to create a platform where all participants in the sports movement could meet and discuss topical issues which are constantly increasing. I would like to address my colleagues present in the hall. Please feel free to contact our Commission. The more information we have, the faster we can help you. The main thing is to fight to the end and never give up.
…Today, within the framework of the plenary session, all athletes had the opportunity to directly pose questions to the leaders of Russian sport. It was possible to discuss topics such as the allocation of lifetime scholarships to the winners of the Olympic Games, the development of student leagues in various sports, the modernization of sports infrastructure in the regions, and much more.
Yury Postrigay, Olympic champion in rowing and canoeing:
– Very interesting agenda. For example, I knew very little about the work of universities such as MGIMO and the RIOU. Today I talked with graduates who have already received higher education there, and listened to the instructors. It seems to me that studying is a great solution for those who have graduated from sports. For the time being, I am still rowing, but in the future this will need to be seriously considered.
Anzhelika Sidorova, Olympic silver medalist in pole vault:
– My career is coming to an end and involuntarily you begin to think about your future. Thanks to the Russian Olympic Committee for the invitation to today’s event. I learned with interest about the existing educational programs for athletes and I liked the session where they talked about business projects. I think that such meetings should be held regularly. Then we will be better prepared for sports retirement.
Alla Shishkina, three-time Olympic champion in synchronized swimming, journalist and blogger:
– When I learned about the concept of the event, I thought: “But I really have something to tell my colleagues about life outside of sports.” Therefore, I gladly agreed to take part.
The topic of education, I think, is one of the most important for athletes. I hope that many of those who are present here will go to study and subsequently open their own sports schools or try their hand at some other kind of business. It is important that we were able to communicate with each other and exchange information. You might even consider holding a separate event for athletes with a similar agenda.
…After the plenary session, the Belarusian delegation visited the ROC Innovation Center, and then Stanislav Pozdnyakov and Viktor Lukashenko went to Poklonnaya Gora, where a tour of the Victory Museum was organized. The heads of both NOCs also examined the exhibition dedicated to the fight against Nazism, including its modern manifestations, and laid wreaths at the Eternal Flame in memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for their Motherland during the Great Patriotic War.
Activities within the framework of the extended meeting of the ROC Athletes’ Commission, which is held in such a format for the very first time, will continue on Friday, September 16. All remarks and proposals made today at the discussion platforms shall be considered in detail tomorrow jointly by Russian and Belarusian colleagues.
