Deputy Batalova called the departure of athletes who started their careers in the Russian Federation incorrect
It is wrong for athletes who took their first steps and started their careers in Russia to go and compete abroad. This opinion was expressed in a conversation with Lenta.ru by Rima Batalova, a member of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports. She explained the idea of restricting talented athletes from traveling abroad.
“We raise these guys from an early age, we invest money, we raise them, and then they leave. This is also wrong. When we take these kids from the age of four or five, they grow up at our sports facilities, our coaches invest there, everyone invests, and then we lose them – this is wrong. Of course, we need to consider what can be done, what maybe we are doing wrong, maybe we misunderstand something, and this needs to be understood,” the deputy said.
Rima Batalova noted that future athletes “must grow up to be patriots of their country,” and this must be instilled from childhood. She also urged “not to go to extremes.”
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“We will listen to all sides of this issue – the children, the parents, the coach, and the manager. As a sports person, I understand how much money we spend on our children so that they grow up, so that they become champions. And then they leave, forgetting their country. This is also wrong. I think we need to make sure that it is an honor for them to play for the Russian national team, we need to fight for it,” the parliamentarian explained.
On October 21, the head of the Ministry of Sports, Oleg Matytsin, said that the department, together with the State Duma, would develop restrictions on the travel of talented Russian athletes abroad. He argues that such measures are needed to protect the interests of domestic sports.
On October 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an investigation into the transfers of young Russian hockey players to foreign clubs. “We need to understand what we should do with these hockey businessmen who take children from sports schools and drag them abroad,” said the head of state.
After the start of a special military operation on the territory of Ukraine, many international sports federations suspended Russia’s membership and banned the country’s representatives from competing. Athletes were deprived of the opportunity to participate, including in the Olympics. Against this background, some athletes began to change their sports citizenship. In September their number exceeded one hundred people.
Source: Lenta
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