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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Degtyarev, the sports sphere is not new to you as you worked on it back when you were in the State Duma. Still, serving in the Government is a different matter. It is an executive agency, and that means a different approach, more specific and practical issues.

There are several topics I would like to discuss with you. I see you have brought a full report and we will go through it shortly. But one of the key issues is the shared responsibility of regional, municipal and federal authorities for children’s and junior sports. What is the current situation there? How is the work being structured?

The second issue has to do with adaptive sports, especially for our service members returning home, some of them wounded, and many of them want to be engaged in sport. That is the second point.

Third, I want to talk about transparency in the operations of sports organisations, including individual sports federations, and the readiness of sports facilities and venues across the Russian regions.

And of course, there is your work as head of the Russian Olympic Committee. We are all aware of the current state of elite international sports and of the behaviour of global sports organisations, which, in my view, are increasingly driven by political considerations, rather than by the true ideals of the Olympic movement. But that is another matter.

It is crucial for us to continue supporting the Russian Olympic Committee and foster cooperation on international platforms with those who are willing, and they represent the majority around the world, inviting our friends here, working with them, hosting engaging, worthy, and prestigious competitions with sizeable rewards for the winners. We need to showcase these events for our audiences and sports enthusiasts, and to give sports fans all over the globe an opportunity to see how physical fitness and sports are developing in Russia. This should serve as a full-fledged and efficient tool for keeping our nation healthy.

Minister of Sport Mikhail Degtyarev: Mr President, let me begin with the mission of the new Sports Ministry team: to make sports more accessible, especially for children, as you said. Now I would like to report on the measures taken. Our goal is to return the national team in full to international competitions and generally enhance the sector.

I will begin with the presentation on children’s and youth sports. Almost 22 million children aged under 18 participate in sports in Russia. As both you and the Education Ministry have noted, the majority of this are school sports. Some children engage in sports through the Ministry of Education, other institutions, or clubs. However, the bulk if our sports reserve, which comprises more than two million athletes, train in our sports schools, of which there are nearly 4,400.

In line with the instructions you have issued, Mr President, the Ministry of Sport has waived all competitions entry fees for children under 18 starting from May 1. The order has been signed.

Regarding the high fees at children's and youth sports schools, this problem exists, and, to be honest, some parents consider it normal. But there are other parents who cannot afford to pay. Therefore, we believe that restoring social justice will require changes to the legislation, including criminal penalties in cases where parents are forced to pay additional fees.

Vladimir Putin: We have discussed this. We are doing everything ourselves, aren’t we?

Mikhail Degtyarev: Of course.

Vladimir Putin: We try to do everything ourselves. I know that if I were to take up sports today, I would hardly be able to achieve – as I told you – the title of Master of Sports of the Soviet Union in sambo, and the second title of Master of Sports of the Soviet Union in judo. My family did not have the money to pay for every step of a budding athlete; it would simply be impossible.

But what have we done in this sphere today? I would not go into details, but social justice must be ensured for all Russian families.

Mikhail Degtyarev: It will be done, Mr President. We will do this together with other agencies, including law enforcement.

Now, regarding our servicemen returning from the special military operation who are finding a new path through sports, this is an excellent form of rehabilitation. Together with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation and Anna Tsivileva, we organised the Defenders of the Fatherland Cup. The finals were held last year at the Sirius Centre, following regional qualifying events. As Governor, I had previously helped organise the Far East Cup in Khabarovsk. It actually took place two weeks after I was appointed Minister, but regardless, the initiative was deemed a success.

Vladimir Putin: Is the Foundation working with you on this?

Mikhail Degtyarev: Yes, of course, it is a joint effort. We have four partners involved, including the Paralympic Committee and the Federal Medical-Biological Agency.

Let me also mention the Time of Heroes project. I had the honour of mentoring Roman Grishin, a recipient of the Order of Courage and a graduate of the Time of Heroes programme. We worked together, and he has now been appointed Deputy Director of the Federal Sports Reserve Training Centre. He oversees eSports and the Phygital Movement, the very initiative launched by Russia and by you personally at the Games of the Future in Kazan.

Here is a photograph of your meeting with wounded war veterans at JSC CITO. It was at that meeting that Igor Starovoit raised the issue of increasing the number of adaptive sports competitions. As the saying goes, “You name it, you claim it” – we invited him on board, and he is now Head of Adaptive Sports Development at the same centre. We are currently developing a dedicated programme under his leadership.

Vladimir Putin: He is a powerhouse.

Mikhail Degtyarev: Yes, he is very strong.

We took that conversation as a direct instruction from you and got to work.

I will not go into detail on every single competition, but we have significantly increased their number on your instructions.

Also, in keeping with your instructions, we are establishing a Russian Sports Foundation. Its remit is broad – it will support children’s and youth sports, assist Olympic athletes, and even contribute to sports infrastructure.

The foundation will be financed through a portion of betting revenues on foreign sports events. We have deliberately excluded domestic events to preserve and stimulate the appeal of our national leagues and federations. Last year, total contributions from betting to sport amounted to 35 billion rubles. However, together with law enforcement agencies, we discovered that some of these funds were misallocated by certain federations. With the new foundation in place, all resources will be consolidated and distributed in a transparent manner. Oversight by the Accounts Chamber is built into the legislation, with detailed provisions on governance and accountability.

Progress continues in the area of mass sports. The target you set – 55percent of the population engaged in physical activity by 2024 – has already been surpassed. There are, however, ongoing questions about the accuracy of the statistics, which we are regularly asked about. To address this, we have taken the path of full digitalisation. We have acquired an almost fully developed system called My Sport, which we are now implementing to collect and verify data in a comprehensive way.

Our working hypothesis is that the current statistics are broadly accurate. While there may be some inflation of figures in the regions, we also do not yet account for many individuals who engage in sports independently, people who go jogging in the morning, ride their bikes, use outdoor gym equipment, and so on. As we introduce digital tools like machine vision, camera monitoring, and a dedicated app, we will be able to include these individuals in our data. Once that is done and we remove inflated entries, we expect the overall figures to level out, but with a far higher quality of data. That is the goal.

Corporate sports is another exciting and fast-growing area. Last year we held both summer and winter international corporate games, with 20 countries taking part. Our older generation is also becoming increasingly active in sports, particularly in the regions. A good example is the Nizhny Novgorod Region, where all sports facilities are free of charge for pensioners.

I would also like to briefly touch on recent sports results. We have already discussed the Games of the Future and the  Background information BRICS BRICS Games. We are also working with the  Background information Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) SCO countries on the proposal, initiated by Russia, to host SCO Games in Moscow or in St Petersburg, or in both.

On the international stage, despite ongoing pressure, our athletes performed admirably last year, earning a total of 71 medals, including 32 gold. The standout event of the year was, of course, the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest. This year, we are preparing to compete in 28 world championships. Some have been granted limited access to Olympic qualifying events for the Games in Italy. So far, that applies to just three disciplines, but the process is underway.

We are also engaged in joint intergovernmental initiatives, particularly with Belarus and China. The Russia-China Youth Games were held in Sakhalin, where your greetings were read out to the athletes, and it meant a lot to them and contributed to an excellent event. Looking ahead, we plan to host the 2026 summer edition of the Russia-China Youth Games in Kaliningrad, to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the region. It promises to be a strong event.

More broadly, a reorganisation is underway in the sector. We are putting everything in place. For the first time, I have approached the presidents of sports federations with a proposal to coordinate our efforts internationally. Everyone has contacts, friends, and positions, and we are now bringing that all together into a common strategy.

Vladimir Putin: This coordination must be built on a foundation of friendship and mutual respect, especially with those who treat us the same way. But we must also keep in mind our own interests and principles, including in this field. Everything we do must reflect our values and be worthy of our partners, our friends, and ourselves. That is a fundamental principle. Our interests must never be compromised – that is what we must aim for. And in any case, our approach should always be built on mutual respect. That is the key to building solid and meaningful relationships.