Interview Mikhail Degtyarev: Sports Can Be Profitable, But One Must Work and Not Be Idle. By Veronika Sovetova
In an interview with TASS, the Russian Minister of Sport summarizes his first three months in the role.
Former Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, Mikhail Degtyarev, was appointed as the Minister of Sport of Russia on 14 May. During his tenure as regional leader, he achieved significant results – according to Rosstat, the region’s gross domestic product increased by 24%, investments in fixed capital rose, and the unemployment rate decreased. Degtyarev’s management of the region also marked sports successes – the Amur hockey club transformed from a bankrupt entity into a financially successful team that made it to the KHL playoffs, and the Khabarovsk-based bandy club SKA-Neftyanik won the title of Russian Champions in 2023 and the Russian Cup in 2022.
In an interview with TASS ahead of Physical Culture Day, Mikhail Degtyarev discussed the highlights of his first three months in his new position, the strengths of the Soviet sports system, what can be adopted from it, and his thoughts on the future of international sports.
– Do you consider yourself a fitness enthusiast?
– Of course. I am constantly engaging in physical activity and encourage everyone to do the same. You don’t necessarily need to go to a stadium or a sports facility to exercise. You can do it at home in the morning – push-ups, gymnastics, stretching exercises, or some abdominal workouts. This will already be enough to make you feel good. Take our President as an example.
– What does a true Russian fitness enthusiast mean to you?
– A person who engages in physical exercise and develops themselves. Incidentally, this is not just about the body but also about the spirit. Sport, in a broader sense, is the comparison of a person's physical and other abilities. That’s why chess is also considered a sport – it’s a battle of intellects. The same goes for racing, whether it’s car racing or motorcycle racing, which combines intellectual, navigational, and other skills. Therefore, sport, in general, can be considered any competition as long as it benefits the person.
– I suspect your schedule is very tight. How do you manage to find time for sports in it?
– At home. In the morning and sometimes in the evening, as I prefer to play hockey, basketball, and volleyball with friends. My family (my wife and children) and I are also passionate about skiing. Therefore, everyone will always find something to their liking. I hope to find time in Moscow to practice fencing, which I enjoyed in Khabarovsk. Although fencing wasn’t as developed in the Khabarovsk Territory, over three and a half years, we managed to make some progress thanks to the efforts of people eager to train, the availability of coaches, and the construction of fencing tracks in the Martial Arts Palace in Khabarovsk, built by presidential decree.
I haven’t practiced fencing in Moscow yet, but I’ve received invitations – it’s a well-developed sport in the capital. I hope to find time for duels with friends.
– Did you bring your fencing equipment, your épée, with you?
– I brought it to Moscow. Initially, I had a few fencing training sessions in Khabarovsk, and I even remember organizing bouts for journalists. Now, the equipment is in Moscow, in my office at the Ministry of Sport.
– Should we expect that Moscow journalists will also need to prepare well for such duels?
– Please, I never refuse journalists, whether it’s for an interview or a duel.– Excellent, we’ll keep that in mind. Not long ago, before the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, you showed interest in the sport of lapta and promised to gift foreign guests of the forum a set.
– I have already gifted some of them with a bat and a set. At the BRICS ministers’ meeting in Kazan, I mainly presented gorodki. Our foreign colleagues are very fond of them. Therefore, we will continue giving such unique gifts to our friends. I met with Sergey Fokin, President of the Lapta Federation, and we planned several events to promote this exciting and beautiful sport.
– Do you think it’s possible to increase the number of fitness enthusiasts in the country to an absolute maximum?
– Why not? The key elements here are personal example, infrastructure, and of course, people’s desire to become stronger, improve their health, and extend their lives. Engaging in physical activity is directly linked to the nation’s health, a fact proven by our science. Therefore, we, together with the Ministry of Health, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, and the Ministry of Education, will promote this.Speaking of the Ministry of Education, we recently met with my colleague Sergey Kravtsov, and we outlined several joint activities, from creating school leagues to organizing large competitions. All of this should be interconnected. Interdepartmental cooperation will be at a high level, I guarantee that. The Ministry of Education is interested.
– But for the country’s citizens, for the fitness enthusiasts, high-performance sports have always been a strong motivator. Could what’s happening with the Olympic Games now negatively affect the motivation of Russian citizens, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts?
– In any case, it does have an impact because the exclusion of our athletes and the treacherous, arbitrary decisions of both the IOC and several federations are significant blows. There’s no other way to describe it. However, I don’t think this will significantly affect mass participation; on the contrary, people are rallying, and their activity will only increase. We will develop other formats, as I have said before – interstate formats and bilateral formats will only gain momentum and significance. I’ll give you an example. The BRICS Games in Kazan were held at the highest level – I congratulate the winners again and thank all our athletes and organizers. At the SCO ministers’ meeting in Almaty, together with the Secretary General of this organization, we preliminarily discussed the inclusion of the SCO Games on the agenda.
We need to develop all the necessary interstate regulatory frameworks, and we can certainly move towards such Games in an open format. We are working with our partners in the People’s Republic of China. In January, we will host the Russian-Chinese Youth Winter Games in Sakhalin. We are planning the Summer Games in 2026 and are currently choosing a region in Russia. We have started communication with our partners in North Korea, and there is interest on both sides regarding bilateral formats. Therefore, in this context, interstate open competitions are likely the future.
– Which regions could host the Russian-Chinese Youth Summer Games?
– We are looking towards the western regions. There is a high probability that we will hold them in the westernmost region, the Kaliningrad Region. This needs to be agreed upon with the Chinese side, of course, and with the regional authorities. I had a preliminary conversation with the Acting Governor, Alexey Besprozvannykh, who, as the head of the region, is ready to host them. So, if we get the go-ahead from the Chinese side, this would be optimal.The westernmost region, in the heart of Europe, will see the best young athletes from Russia and the People’s Republic of China competing in various disciplines. Why not?I would also like to mention the phygital movement. Russia has introduced the world to the phygital format, the Games of the Future. There is now competition among the countries of the Global South, so to speak, over who will host these Games in 2025, 2026, and 2027.
The interest is enormous. I consider this idea, this format, to be very promising because it can pull children away from gadgets, computers, and desks.
– Pull them away, but not completely detach them.
– Yes. I have no problem with computer games or esports; they are interesting and involve a comparison of intellectual abilities, and there is nothing wrong with that. But adding physical activity is the perfect solution.
– Do you play yourself?
– No, I don’t have time for that, but my children play. I’ve tried playing with them – it’s engaging, interesting, and does indeed require skills. So, I don’t side with those who think it should be banned or that our children are somehow not right. Times change, and they have these opportunities. I believe esports has great potential, but it will be even better with the addition of physical competitions, activities, and traditional sports. Plus, there are various subcultures that need to be incorporated, as well as extreme sports, which are currently experiencing a surge in popularity.
I recently attended the Russian BMX Cycling Championship in Mordovia, in Saransk. A magnificent centre has been built there, the best in the world, with both indoor and outdoor tracks. It was constructed under the federal project “Sport is the Norm of Life” thanks to a decision by our President. It’s a pleasure to see how exciting and captivating it is – there are many spectators, and many regions have joined this effort. I believe cycling in this format has been revitalized.
– Returning to the Olympic Games: not many of our compatriots are participating under neutral status. Have you been following their performances?
– Of course, professionally, I am obliged to keep track. And as a fan, I always support our athletes. I have repeatedly stated that I do not support the vilification of athletes who have gone there under neutral status. They remain ours. The career of a top-level athlete is very short, and they are not to blame for the way the IOC is behaving. So, I support our athletes everywhere and always, and I encourage everyone to do the same.
– Nevertheless, some federations have decided not to participate. The recent notable refusals include wrestling and judo. How did you react to their decision?
– As the Minister of Sport and as a leader, I reacted to their decision with regret. Because they did not have the opportunity to compete for medals or showcase their skills. As a citizen and patriot of Russia, I understand their decision.
– What are your thoughts on the possible re-election of President Thomas Bach in Athens next year?
– The question seems rhetorical to me. Unfortunately, Thomas Bach, through his decisions, his influence on the international Olympic movement, and his Russophobic stance, has clearly fallen out of the circle of our friends and those whom we might wish success. Therefore, speaking broadly about the future of the Olympic movement, my opinion is that it is time for a representative from the Global South to take up the banner of the Olympic movement, to restore it to the values laid out in the Olympic Charter, which we share.
The Russophobic bias of Western leaders causes irreparable harm to the Olympic movement. We can see this, by the way, in some indicators of declining interest. Without our athletes and Belarusian competitors, the quality of competitions diminishes, results decline, spectator interest and attention wane, and revenue decreases. Many are saying that more tickets have been sold for the Paris Games. Yes, but there are also sponsorship contracts, and their volumes are decreasing. Some sponsors are withdrawing their support from the IOC and key broadcasts. This is a medical fact. All of this is a result of the Russophobic stance.If we consider why we are being treated this way, it is evident that there is influence from Western politicians. Officials, including Thomas Bach, are likely influenced. As the saying goes, “believe only in deeds”. This is detrimental and causes harm to global sport.
– Do you not think that there is currently some discord within the IOC itself? For instance, at the recent IOC session, a proposed amendment to the Charter to extend Bach’s mandate was not adopted.
– Yes, there is no decision yet. And I understand why. Because no one likes what he is doing. However, I repeat, this is damaging global sport. Perhaps he will rectify this situation. And we might, so to speak, see his previous, quite reasonable position again. But for now, we have what we have.Russophobia has penetrated to the very depths. Not of the entire Olympic movement, but of the Western establishment. Because, if we talk about conflicts, such as our own and the special military operation, there are currently, by various estimates, up to 20 armed conflicts in a high state of intensity worldwide. Conflicts are occurring everywhere; I am not even mentioning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but for some reason, only Russia and Belarus are under a ban. This is unjust. Everyone has common sense and sees that this is not related to the special military operation. It is solely connected to a Russophobic political stance.
Therefore, we hold competitions in an open format. I want to remind you that at the BRICS Games or at the “Children of Asia” Games in Yakutsk, where I attended the opening and greeted everyone on behalf of the President, there were Palestinians and athletes from Georgia, and at BRICS there were friends from Abkhazia. An open sports format should unite and build international bridges and contacts, rather than exclude athletes based on political or national criteria. This contradicts the principles of the Olympic movement and the norms of international law.
– The situation at WADA is also tumultuous. The organization’s Honorary President, Richard Pound, has stated that USADA might lose its rights and, consequently, the Los Angeles Olympics.
– It must be said that WADA’s position is more consistent. If they banned our laboratory and agency, citing alleged state influence on the process, a claim we contest and are preparing to challenge in the CAS arbitration, the situation with the Americans is even more clear-cut. The state has interfered in the process of penalizing foreign athletes.
In their national legislation and legal system, the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated the prosecution of Chinese athletes. This is blatantly obvious and has flourished unabashedly. Therefore, according to WADA’s regulations, the US agency should certainly be banned as well. The FBI directly intervened by initiating criminal cases and investigations against Chinese athletes. There's no need for any Rodchenkov Acts; the score is on the board. We shall see. Logic suggests that the US agency should be banned, and the Olympics should be moved from the United States to another country. We, on our part, fully support WADA’s claims. I am referring to the fight against doping and its use from an early age. We have implemented educational programmes for young athletes and are promoting them across all our educational institutions, Olympic reserve schools, and sports academies. We are working to instil in athletes and their coaches the principle of the inadmissibility of doping use. There are no questions there; these are matters of national interest. They align with the concerns WADA has previously raised against us. This work was once inadequate but is now at a level that many countries can only aspire to. Therefore, culturally, we have no problems.
Those who have been caught, and the coaches who facilitated doping, are all banned under our domestic regulations. They will never be allowed to participate in any training processes or camps. But the rest of the allegations are, of course, fabricated and serve one purpose – unfair competition and Russophobia, discrimination based on nationality with collective responsibility. And this is disgraceful. We will fight against this and challenge it in all possible instances.
– Returning to our Russian sport: with all these bans, restrictions, and our absence from international competitions, and the inability to travel abroad, there seems to be increasing interest in Russian national sports and non-Olympic sports. What is your perspective on this, and which other sports, besides lapta and gorodki, could see significant development?
– Our country is vast, and in the regions, there are indeed many interesting and spectacular mass sports, eight of which are officially recognized. These include mas-wrestling, Yakut long jumping, kuresh, hapsagai, and many others. Mas-wrestling is probably the most popular. I recently visited Yakutsk and saw the centre for the development of national sports. It was very impressive. We will work in that direction, supporting these sports and their development. Perhaps something new will emerge and thrive. Therefore, national sports are our intangible heritage. We will develop and support them in every possible way.
– New and unconventional sports are also emerging. Recently, videos of hobby horse riders – people riding around on a stick with a horse's head – have gone viral. What do you think of such activities?
– I recently gave a brief comment in my Telegram channel, “Degtyarev's Machine Gun”, and I can reiterate it here. This phenomenon is not recognized as a sport and is not planned to be. But as an activity that has its followers and enthusiasts, by all means, let it develop. It brings joy to some people.
– That’s already something.
– Yes, but it was never considered a sport, nor will it be
.– It’s been three months since you assumed the position of Minister of Sport. What challenges have you faced during this time? What have you accomplished? How do you remember these first weeks and months?
– The management system certainly requires adjustments. I’ve spent the past three months focused on this. Two new deputy ministers have been appointed. State Secretary Alexander Nikitin, formerly the First Deputy Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory, and head of my administration, a government manager of the highest competence. He is responsible for all legal matters, legislation, international activities, higher education institutions, science, all congress and exhibition activities, and the development of the campus at 18 Kazakov street. It’s a large area, 10 hectares, the Razumovsky estate. Another deputy minister appointed is Mger Gandilyan, also a former Deputy Governor of the Khabarovsk Territory and a financier. He now oversees all property, public-private partnerships, budget, finance, and control matters. He is also a top-level manager – graduated from Moscow State University with honours.Odes Baysultanov, the former Deputy Minister of Sport, has been promoted to First Deputy by the Prime Minister at my request. He retains his portfolio – state regulation, mass sports, GTO, and our new regions. He oversees sports from the Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic to the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region. Alexey Morozov has retained his position as Deputy Minister. He is responsible for elite sports, reserves, and digitalization. Recently, Vladimir Putin instructed us to strengthen this work. We worked on his instructions with the Presidential Administration. Now we will move in this direction. The digitalization of sports is essential today, primarily for athletes and their parents, but also for us as a government body to have a complete picture of what is happening in the country and to reduce, by the way, various corruption factors.
– It’s very difficult for the average person to understand what digitalization in sports entails. If you were to explain it in simple terms, why is it beneficial, and what is its purpose?
– Allow me to explain. Our primary focus is on the client, with an emphasis on client-centricity, if I may use that term. We envision it as follows: each athlete, every individual engaged in physical activity, would have their own digital profile. Through the “Gosuslugi” (Russia’s State Services portal), they would be able to register for competitions, track their progress towards achieving the next level of proficiency. This would eliminate the need for someone within a federation to decide on their behalf whether they are “worthy” or “unworthy” and submit the necessary documentation to the state regulatory authorities. Instead, it would all be managed automatically – based on the number of victories, results, and placements in various competitions. In other words, a digital profile of the athlete. This profile will be fully integrated with the unified competition calendar. From there, it will be possible to see the coaches from the earliest stages. If we have nurtured a champion, it will be clear who was responsible for their training. Coaches won’t need to worry; they will have the opportunity to receive financial incentives and state awards. This information will be digitally recorded from the very beginning of an athlete’s career. We, as the regulatory authority, will also have access to the profiles of sports organizations and facilities. We will be able to monitor how many people are training in a particular organization, which competitions they are conducting in accordance with the unified calendar, who the responsible individuals are, and under whose jurisdiction they fall. Our organizations are varied – municipal, regional, federal, and state-public entities. By this, I mean physical culture and sports societies, clubs, and sports facilities.We maintain a register of sports facilities, and I see serious corruption risks in how it is currently managed. We will be transferring all of this into digital format. The system, not an official, will determine whether a facility is compliant or non-compliant, thus eliminating the need for direct contact with bureaucrats. These tasks will be completed within the next year or two.Unfortunately, when my team arrived at the Ministry of Sport, we found that the client-centric ideology of “GIS-Sport”, our state information system, had been pushed far into the future – towards 2027–2028. The development of an athlete’s profile was scheduled for around 2027–2028. My question is: what purpose would it serve by then?We are now accelerating the timelines, aiming for 2024–2025. The President has issued a series of directives, on which we have worked in collaboration with the Presidential Administration and directly with Alexei Dyumin, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation, Secretary of the State Council of the Russian Federation. Therefore, I have appointed my deputy, Morozov, to oversee this initiative – this is his domain, and Alexei will be involved in this work as well.
– To close the topic of international relations, one more question. We have had rather favourable results in terms of international cooperation with the SCO, BRICS, and the countries of the former CIS. What role do you assign to the ministry and to yourself in this work? Is it even feasible?
– Why not? We are responsible for sport and its development as a department. I wish to revisit history for our viewers and readers, to examine how it was organized in the Soviet Union. The Soviet experience was dismissed for no reason. Before 1991, there was the Committee for Physical Culture and Sport of the USSR, and from 1986, the State Committee. It was primarily tasked with developing physical culture and sport, as well as effectively advancing the Olympic movement. Various mechanisms were in place. The head of the State Sports Committee was either the president of the Olympic Committee or, at some point, their first deputy held the position.This system is still in place today in the People’s Republic of China. I maintain good friendly relations with Minister of Sport Gao Zhidan, who is also the head of the country’s Olympic Committee. This arrangement is accepted by the international sports community and the IOC, with no objections; it is the sovereign right of the country.I would remind you of the constitutional amendments adopted in 2020, which affirm the primacy of national law over international acts. Therefore, the repeated insistence that the Olympic Committee must be independent is outdated. The course towards uniting the efforts of the Ministry of Sport, the Russian Olympic Committee, and the Olympic movement has been unequivocally set, and we shall not deviate from it. Hence, I would prefer to look into the Soviet model of sports management.Then there is the matter of finances. Soviet sport did not receive a single rouble from the state budget of the Soviet Union. This is a fact. Soviet sport was funded by “Sportloto”. In what proportions? 25% of all revenues from “Sportloto” went to the Soviet Union’s budget.
The State Sports Committee also earned money alongside “Sportloto”. A quarter of the funds were allocated to the objectives of the State Sports Committee. A quarter went to the regions for the development of infrastructure. That is to say, everything constructed by the State Sports Committee over the decades was funded by “Sportloto”. And that was only a quarter. Of course, there were also local budgets, and the remaining quarter was distributed for various other purposes. Additionally, the State Sports Committee operated 26 state enterprises, which produced everything from trainers and skis to various complex high-tech products. So why can we not consider this experience? We will consider it, and I believe we will even reinstate and implement some aspects of that experience. I think you have noticed that the President has tasked us with establishing a fund under the Ministry of Sport, where proceeds from gambling activities will be directed; we will determine the shares and other details shortly within the Government. But such an assignment exists, and we have been working on it together with the Presidential Administration. This is a gradual shift towards the Soviet approach.
– Regarding lottery revenues, we have indeed been moving in this direction for some time.
– The lottery today generates substantial funds, which are immediately directed to the federal budget. Up to RUB 4 billion are allocated to sport. The amount is not large. Whether more is needed and whether more can be allocated is a matter for discussion. We shall certainly discuss it within the Government. Today, funds from betting activities go directly to the federations. This raises several questions about how some federations are spending these funds. We, as the state, have information that not all of these funds are being used as intended – on the development of youth sports. We will certainly address this together with law enforcement.
– What is the threat to federations that have yet to learn to spend betting funds appropriately?
– Vladimir Putin has very clearly and unequivocally stated in his directive where the funds from sporting events, in which our domestic federations, leagues, clubs, and so on are not involved, will be directed. In short, all sporting events outside Russia, in which we as a country have no involvement – people still place bets on them, don’t they? All the proceeds from such bets will be collected and subsequently allocated towards the development of youth sports, infrastructure development, and other goals in accordance with the strategy for the development of physical culture and sport in Russia, which has been approved. As for domestic bets, approximately 15% of the gross bets will continue to be allocated to the federations. The logic is very simple. If you, as the head of a federation or a league, can make it exciting enough for people to want to bet on a match, for instance, between CSKA and Lokomotiv in football, then by all means, do everything to that end. The more people bet, the more money you will receive.But for bets on, say, a Champions League match or a match in a Spanish or Italian league, please be so kind as to direct all the proceeds to the state fund. We will then transparently determine the allocation based on established methodologies. We shall, of course, publish and discuss these methodologies. The fund will have a supervisory board, and oversight bodies will be involved. But it will be transparent.
– How long will this take approximately?
– The President has set a deadline for us: the draft law will be submitted to the State Duma by 10 September.
– The law will be enacted, but this process also needs to be implemented and established.
– I hope the deputies will support us. I believe the fund will be fully established by the New Year. We will submit it to the Duma by 10 September, and since it is already a draft federal law, we will work with the Duma accordingly. However, given that this is a presidential directive, I do not think the deputies will delay the process.
– President Putin issued a number of important directives, one of which concerns the oversight of the use of sports facilities. What is the issue here, and what role do the regions play in this matter?
– It is quite simple. Some of the facilities are federal. There are no issues with their occupancy or with providing premises for athletes, particularly for youth sports. However, a large number of facilities are still held on the regional balance sheet. From stadiums to sports and fitness centres and multi-purpose sports complexes. We observe, together with law enforcement agencies among others, that some of them are being used more for commercial purposes and less for the development of youth sports. This is precisely the area towards which the President’s directive is aimed – to rectify the situation and conduct an analysis. Those who fail to understand the state’s priorities will need to be invigorated and steered in the right direction. The President has unambiguously pointed out three or four times over the past six months alone the issue of commercialization, particularly in youth sports. This is unacceptable. As the state regulator and a federal governing body, we are in close communication with the regions. This cannot be accomplished without the regions. For this reason, our first step was to gather all regional sports ministers for an alignment meeting in Moscow, which took place at our “Chkalov Arena”. We conveyed these positions, including the President’s directives and our vision, that commercialization must be removed from youth sports. Ideally, all youth sports should, of course, be free of charge. In some disciplines, we have made significant progress, while in others, we have regressed. Today, in certain disciplines, if parents do not have the means, it is almost impossible for talented children to advance. It is an outrage. Incidentally, the regional sports ministers themselves told me at the meeting that they had not been gathered for seven or eight years. These are our direct counterparts, representatives of local authorities responsible for the development of our field and sector, yet their Minister had never once convened them. I do not wish to criticize anyone here, but this simply did not occur. We will continue to have meetings with them, to work together to devise ways to fulfil all the President’s directives, and to address and resolve any problematic areas.
– Among the President’s directives was also the comprehensive restoration of our new territories. It is clear that many facilities have been damaged, but much has already been restored. What is currently the most pressing task in this area?
– Infrastructure, of course, comes first, creating conditions for engaging in sports. My first deputy, Odes Baysultanov, is a highly experienced leader. To highlight his career, he was the Chairman of the Government of the Chechen Republic, Deputy Presidential Plenipotentiary to the North Caucasus, and the First Deputy Minister for the Development of the North Caucasus, and now he is the First Deputy Minister of Sport. He is well-versed in restoration, having dealt with this in the Chechen Republic. We are allocating funds within all our programmes for the new regions and the restoration of sports infrastructure there.Therefore, it is certainly a priority; we need to demonstrate results, and they will undoubtedly be forthcoming. We will publicly share and showcase everything. We will open a couple of sports facilities in the near future. When I was a governor, I had, let’s say, a focused course on the restoration of Debaltsevo, because we adopted the city of military glory Debaltsevo in the Donetsk People’s Republic as a patronage city. Now, of course, the goals and objectives are broader. I will definitely be there, and very soon.By the way, the Khabarovsk Territory, on my instructions, has restored the “Lokomotiv” fitness and recreation complex in Debaltsevo and built a large open sports ground called “Amur”, which was recently opened. We have supported and will continue to support the course towards the development of sport.
– You mentioned “Amur”, do you plan to continue being involved in the life of the Khabarovsk hockey club?
– No, of course not. When leaving, leave completely. The region has a new leader, new managers, including in the sports sector. It is their responsibility. I will observe, and perhaps even quietly cheer them on, as I devoted four years to bringing “Amur” out of bankruptcy and making it one of the leaders in financial discipline and sports results in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). I will remind you of the bare facts. In 2020, when I headed the Board of Trustees of “Amur”, it had 750 million in debts, and the club was on the verge of being expelled from the KHL. That is a fact. It took a great deal of effort to assure the KHL management that the club would survive, that we would find sponsors, and that we would not stop providing support, including budgetary support, as that is still necessary. And in May of this year, “Amur” was handed over to the new management with millions, hundreds of millions – I won’t specify the exact figure – on the accounts. No debts, no financial problems, a good reputation on the transfer market, wages paid on time, bonuses, and so on. With an increased commercial component, which has grown about fourfold in four years, I mean revenue from the ticketing programme, merchandise, and events. And, of course, it is pleasing that the audience grew by one and a half times in just the past year. I mean in the stands. Naturally, the revenue from that also grew, as did the interest in the club. So, I consider this stage of my career complete.I brought Alexander Nikitin, the club’s president, to Moscow. The Chairman of the Government has appointed him as State Secretary, Deputy Minister. The General Director, Roman Kramar, has also returned to Moscow and will soon occupy a senior position in the Ministry of Sport’s ecosystem. It is a large system: 38 subordinate entities, including 14 universities and academies, 11 Olympic reserve schools, 2 research institutes, and 8 federal bases from Sochi to Moscow, Oka, Kislovodsk, and others. So, we will certainly find a place for him as a manager. However, others will now manage ‘Amur’, and we will observe the results. The same goes for “SKA-Neftyanik”, a bandy club that achieved all its tournament goals, becoming the Russian champion, as well as the holder of the Russian Cup and Super Cup in one year. Its General Director, Anton Yegorkov, a top-class manager, has also returned to Moscow and will soon find a senior position within the Ministry of Sport’s ecosystem.
– Does it follow from your words that Russian sport could not only become more successful but also profitable?
– It could, these are examples. Therefore, when some people now tell me that we cannot do this, we cannot do that, and that help is needed here, I have something to compare it with. My personal experience involves leading the “Amur” hockey club out of bankruptcy to financial success, increasing marketing revenues fourfold. One simply needs to work and not be idle.
– But sports are different. Figuratively speaking, people will attend figure skating, hockey, and football.
– We will support hockey, lapta, chess, and motorsport. We will support all of them.
– How can lapta be made profitable?
– It’s a spectacle. It needs to be developed, marketing programmes should be adopted, some investment is required, and television partnerships should be formed. This requires effort. There is no need to go around begging with an outstretched hand; one must make sport a spectacle. I have a question about the spectacle of Russian hockey – how is it possible to prohibit video replays in this sport? What century are we in, the 19th? Or the early 20th, when there was no television? It’s absurd, you must agree. This leads to a decline in spectacle. I speak as a practitioner, having overseen the “SKA-Neftyanik” as governor. Therefore, this is a serious issue, and we do not intend to impose anything. But if a sport is not made spectacular through rules, marketing, television, and events, interest will inevitably decline.
– How do you plan to coordinate work with the federations in this regard? After all, they are all very different.
– Indeed, very different. This will be addressed by the Sports Council, chaired by President Vladimir Putin, who will convene it at the “Russia – a Sporting Power” forum in Ufa this October. Our theme is the role of non-profit organizations (read ‘federations’) in the development of sport. We will discuss this there, and a serious agenda is currently being prepared. Following this, there will be several presidential directives.
– A question about money again. Will sport continue to be funded at the same level?
– In May of this year, in the budget projections for 2025, 2026, and 2027, the Ministry of Sport’s limits were initially reduced. Over the past three months, we have worked with the Ministry of Finance and received approval from the head of state. At the Council on National Projects, Dmitry Chernyshenko proposed the development of a comprehensive programme for the development of physical culture and sport. As a result of this process, we foresee an increase in the financial share allocated to our sector. Additionally, the President has directed the creation of a fund under the Ministry of Sport, to which proceeds from the gambling industry will be directed. All of this will undoubtedly improve the situation in 2025 from what we inherited: a deficit of 20 billion in the plan compared to 2024. However, this will still be insufficient, and we will continue this work. I would like to remind you that there was a serious discussion on this topic at the level of the head of state about the need for part of the proceeds from the sale of alcohol and tobacco to be allocated to the development of sport and other objectives, but this has somehow been overshadowed. We will now bring this to the fore and address it concretely.I reiterate the Soviet experience. In the Soviet Union, the State Sports Committee did not receive a single rouble from the Soviet budget. Zero. Instead, it allocated a quarter of its revenues from “Sportloto” to the budget. It lived on one quarter, and the other quarter was directed to the regions for construction. Such an experience existed. This model is a possibility, and we are considering it as one of the options in the management system.
– But if we approach the model of the Soviet Union, significant organizational changes will be required. Specifically, your remark about a rather rigid vertical structure in the sector comes to mind. What do you see as the ideal vertical structure in the sports sector that would allow for effective operation?
– First, the regions, as I have already mentioned. Our partners. We see that the federal Ministry of Sport and regional departments must work within a unified system. Currently, such a vertical structure does not exist, only in name. The Ministry of Sport does not participate in personnel selection or approval, unlike, for example, in healthcare or education. These sectors have such a vertical structure. Incidentally, this also applies to industry and natural resources.As a governor, I coordinated the appointment of the Minister of Education, the Minister of Industry, the Minister of Health, and the Minister of Natural Resources with the federal government and sectoral ministries. This is not the case in sport. This is, of course, incorrect. It is an obvious issue, and we will certainly address it in the near future.The federations themselves also complain. Today, the All-Russian Federation faces certain difficulties in interacting with regional federations for various sports. In some sports and regions, there are several public organizations operating in parallel in a particular sport. One of them, yes, participates in the annual congress, conference, or other events of that sport. Is this right? I believe it is not.That is to say, we need to extend the vertical structure of state power down to the grassroots level. And, of course, this applies to each sport and to the federations as well. We will need to work jointly with the Ministry of Justice, as this falls under their jurisdiction: public organizations, their registry, and management. And of course, there must be cooperation in the financial sphere. Today, the federation for a sport is responsible for the development of that sport, yet all accountability falls on the minister in Moscow or the minister in Smolensk, Khabarovsk, or elsewhere. Is this right? No.Are state funds being allocated? They are. Are funds from the gambling industry being allocated? They are. Here we will have to find a joint solution for financial management and accountability for the results.In the Soviet Union, there was the institution of the state coach. We are planning to pilot the introduction of this institution for several sports. There will be two keys, for instance, for national teams. One key belongs to the federation, where there is the institution of the head coach. We do not intend to interfere with that. The other key belongs to the state coach, representing the state, which finances the entire national team. Is this right? It is. Is it fair? It is. Why has this not existed until now? I do not know. But it will.
– What will be the first sports, if it’s not a secret?
– We will certainly make this public. We are preparing. Ideally, it will cover all sports, of course.
– How many regions have you managed to visit in three months of work?
Not many so far, as there is a large influx of information and meetings in Moscow. I am getting up to speed. Six or seven regions at least. The most recent ones are Mordovia, for the BMX Championship, Chuvashia, and Tatarstan – where I have been two or three times already, including for the BRICS Games. It is generally a sporting republic.I was in the Kaluga region with Ilya Averbukh, where we opened a magnificent ice palace in Balabanovo, built through a public-private partnership. It’s a good example of how sport can be self-sustaining. But at the same time, all activities for figure skaters and hockey players are free. On private ice. It works, you see? But one must approach it professionally, in terms of business planning, construction, and interaction with the state. Therefore, I was pleased to observe this positive PPP case in Balabanovo. Governor Vladislav Shapsha did a great job overseeing this project, and this is the future.I visited the Samara region, where, by presidential decree, the “Russia – a Sporting Power” forum will be held in 2025. Of course, I will visit Bashkortostan, Ufa, where the forum will take place this year.I will certainly travel more. And I encourage all officials at the Ministry of Sport to travel – a minimum of one-third of the year should be spent on business trips to fully understand and be well-informed about the situation. Incidentally, this correlates with my experience as a governor. A governor, if they want to stay informed and receive support from Moscow, is obliged to regularly send their entire government and to travel to Moscow themselves – to resolve issues for the region. Governors who say, “There’s nothing for you to do there, stay here,” simply do not know the subject well, they are underachievers. I say this as a former governor, not as a minister.
– That brings us to the final question. Please tell me, is the work of a governor and the work of a minister similar, or are they completely different?
– They are, of course, different. A governor’s role is broader – you are responsible for everything, from sport to education, from forest fires to floods. For everything. A minister, on the other hand, is focused on a specific sector. There is less politics involved, and more coordination and regulatory functions. I am grateful to the President for the opportunity to prove myself in a region, to bring order to the Khabarovsk Territory. The region is on the rise, and I have left a good legacy for my successor. Over four years, I increased revenues by approximately 1.6 times. That is to say, the region earned 79 billion in 2020, and I handed it over with 136 billion in revenue. I am not even mentioning large investment projects, the social sphere, new facilities, roads, road junctions, and so forth.So, I am not ashamed. I hand it over into reliable hands and am grateful that the President has appointed me to a high state post in the government, in a very challenging sector where serious reforms and changes are required.
