“Creating a sustainable system of mass sport, building a sufficient number of sports facilities, making them accessible, raising the role of physical fitness in education are priorities for many nations, including Russia. Our goal is to involve no less than 40% of our citizens to regular sport activities and healthy lifestyles by the year 2020.”
“We share the opinion that the level of involvement of people in sports and physical activity reflects the quality of the state’s social policy, shows how responsible the state is towards its citizens and their health, and the fate of future generations.”
“Russia, which marked last November the 100th anniversary of its participation in the Olympic movement, understands the great significance of sport’s humanitarian mission and its enormous role in the life of individuals and in the life of nations. <…> This gives added weight to the Olympic movement’s mission to promote tolerance and friendship, the principles of fair play and mutual respect. It is a force that can make our world more humane, more just and more open.”
“The most important aspect for the government is establishing infrastructure for the stable and long-term development of sport. As I mentioned, a huge amount of work has been done recently to build modern training grounds of federal and regional status. Moreover, many facilities that were built before 2008 are being renovated and equipped.”
“In 2011, for the first time in the history of modern Russia, we provided financial assistance to particular organisations that are responsible for athletic reserves for national teams. <…> The budget expenses for the entire calendar of sport events have increased. In 2009, we allotted around two billion roubles for these purposes. In 2012, we will allocate 3.5 billion. There is a system for motivating athletes and coaches who have achieved significant results from the budgets of all levels, as well as extra-budgetary sources.”
“We are currently carrying out intensive work in preparation for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This large-scale project must pool together the efforts of the state, the business community, public organisations and, of course, fans and football supporters. I have no doubt that we will hold this event in a befitting manner, that we will host one of the most outstanding FIFA World Cups in the history of this wonderful sport, in the history of football.”
“I would like to note that football in Russia has always been more than just a sport. It would be no exaggeration to say that this spectacular, exciting and captivating game has become a way of life for many generations of this country's citizens. We are rightly proud of the achievements of our national team, whose achievements include Olympic gold medals and victory at the UEFA European Football Championship. We are proud of our wonderful clubs, who have won numerous continental cups.”
“Russia will host the FIFA World Cup for the first time. I would like to stress once again that we are grateful to FIFA and all the representatives of the world football community for making this choice. As we see it, it is an acknowledgement of this country's achievements in the development of sport and football and an assessment of the new Russia in general as an open and successful country, setting itself the most ambitious goals and capable of holding such large-scale events.”
“We have been investing quite heavily at the federal level in sports and physical fitness lately. Regional spending is also on the rise. Unfortunately, the number of people engaged in athletic activities is not as large as, say, in Finland, but it’s steadily growing. We are getting close to international standards. As a matter of fact, such events as the World Cup and the Olympics promote sports in the country.”
“We currently attach to sports the closest and most serious attention: we are creating new and better conditions in which to train our athletes and teams for major world competitions at the highest, most modern level. We are updating the infrastructure, we are building stadiums and fields, we are supporting sports in schools, among students, we are doing everything we can in order for sports to become a part of life for every Russian family.”