Vitaly Mutko: “The Russian Olympians Foundation” is the structure, where the state turns for help when the most actual problems of the sphere need prompt solution

Yesterday, on April, 21, the Minister of sports, tourism and youth policy Vitaly Mutko took part in the ceremony of the presentation of the new program of “The Russian Olympians Foundation” - of the support of children-youth sport schools. 18 sport schools of winter and summer sports from seven federal regions got the support from 1,0 to 2,5 million rubles a year (the total sum is 29 million rubles). Vitaly Mutko told to the special correspondent of the Agency of sport information “All Sport” about the important role of “The Russian Olympians Foundation”.

“On the name of athletes and coaches, Ministry of sports and the Government of the country I want to say “thank you” to the founders of the Foundation, who finance lots of programs, focused on the development of sports in Russia, - Vitaly Mutko said. - The Foundation is the structure, where the state turns for help, when the most actual problems in our sphere need prompt solution, from the Olympic teams to, at the moment, children-youth schools. You know all the objective problems we meet: budget sources, cooperation with other ministries… To make any active decision we need to coordinate a lot of things. And even after that, we can’t feel safe - there are also other control structures (smiling). “The Russian Olympians Foundation” as a non-commercial charity organization is, in this matter, more loyal and mobile. For example, from the moment, when the parameters of the program of support of children-youth sport schools were defined, till this presentation of the certificates less than one month passed! Or, there is the example of the personal support of the candidates to the Russian Olympic team to Vancouver 2010. From the state the candidate automatically gets 6 000 rubles. Only 6000 rubles - it is clear that the candidate can’t provide himself or his\her family. Thanks to the Foundation and its founders 220 candidates to the participation at the Olympic Games 2010 this year will get 45 000 rubles a month, starting from January, and their coaches - 40 000 rubles. Taking into consideration 100000 from the State if they win in Vancouver, they can concentrate on the preparation, but not lose time at the commercial tournaments and other projects. But these aimed, very useful and important programs don’t mean that the State is trying to put the decision of all the problems on “The Russian Olympians Foundation”. On the contrary, in a year -half a year – or may be two years, when we put in order all normative documents, go through all this very difficult way, about which I have already mentioned, we will take away from the Foundation the program of support of the candidates to the Olympic teams, and the program of financing of children-youth schools. And in the Foundation we will start working at absolutely different, but not less important programs. In this sense it is very difficult to overestimate the importance of “The Russian Olympians Foundation”.