Sport forum in Moscow could help solve doping problem

© RIA Novosti . Alexei Druzhinin / Go to the mediabankVitaly Mutko
Vitaly Mutko - Sputnik International
Subscribe
This year’s international sports forum in Moscow could help solve Russia’s doping issues, which have recently marred the country’s image, said Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko.

This year’s international sports forum in Moscow could help solve Russia’s doping issues, which have recently marred the country’s image, said Minister of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy Vitaly Mutko. The minister noted recent disqualifications of Russian athletes in skiing, track and field and biathlon.

The Russia as a Sports Power forum will be held from July 29 through August 1.

“The forum is a unique opportunity to discuss key problems in sports with the president,” Mr. Mutko told RIA Novosti. “It will also address doping problems, because we have still been unable to improve Russia’s image.”

The sports minister said his ministry planned to invite the president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), John Fahey, as well as Russian sports figures for a roundtable conference on the issue.
Mr. Fahey has informed RIA Novosti he would accept the invitation to the Russian sports forum. He said it would be an excellent opportunity for him in his capacity as WADA president to meet with top Russian officials and leaders of sports and anti-doping services to discuss Russia’s anti-doping efforts.
When asked if Russia remains a sports power in professional terms despite its doping problems, the Russian minister replied: “Yes, certainly, even despite what happened in Vancouver.”
“We took sixth place in Canada by the number of medals won,” Mr Mutko said. “We came in third in the world in the 2009 summer sports championships. We have won at all combined tournaments, including the Student Games in Belgrade and the Deaflympics.”

The minister noted that although 300 Russian athletes had been banned from competition for doping in the last two years, that figure was not much bigger or smaller than in other countries, which have similar problems but have found ways of dealing with them.

The minister admitted, however, that Russia was lagging behind other countries in terms of amateur sports.

“Unfortunately, all of us are to blame, including the media,” he said. “We don’t do enough to convince people that sport leads to success in life, especially for young people. Only two or three children in a class take up sport. We are encouraging competitions in multiple sports and are making physical education obligatory. We must convince people that this is important.”

The goal of the Russia as a Sports Power forum is to promote the Olympic ideals, international sports cooperation and healthy living, as well as discourage the use of steroids in sports.

One of the central events of the forum will be the festivities in honor of the 30th anniversary of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, which will be attended by President Dmitry Medvedev, Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov and famous Russian athletes and cultural figures.

MOSCOW, May 13 (RIA Novosti)

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала