Official website of the President of Russia

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Today is the start of the countdown to the first-ever international Games of the Future tournament, which is, without exaggeration, a unique event that has never been held before.

The Games of the Future will combine e-sports and conventional sports, video games, virtual and augmented reality tournaments, as well as traditional football, basketball, hockey and MMA matches, all on one platform.

They will once again demonstrate that a modern person, a person of the future, is a harmonious individual, fit both physically and intellectually. I am convinced that the Games of the Future will make this truth evident in its entirety.

We take pride in the fact that this tournament was born in Russia and that this exciting phygital sport, which is becoming increasingly popular, offers new opportunities, scope and prospects for our country.

I am aware that Russia’s initiative has drawn the attention of the professional community and fans of cyber competitions, classic sports and video games from many countries around the world. This can be seen from the popularity of the qualifying stages of the Games of the Future with the audiences and the sheer number of applications from many teams.

They represent different countries and continents but are one in what matters most: sport is beyond politics and its purpose is to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship among nations and to serve humanism, prosperity and all the good things.

There is not much time to go before the Games of the Future begin, so, first of all, I wish the tournament participants to make every coming month and week count and to focus on preparations in order to enter this competitive marathon 300 days from now and to demonstrate the best of their abilities and talents.

The organisers of the Games of the Future will do their best to help the participants rise to their full potential. Beautiful, ancient, hospitable Kazan, capital of one of Russia’s most distinctive regions, Tatarstan, which has an extensive track record of holding major and prestigious international forums, will host these competitions.

Good luck to you on your way to new accomplishments.

All the best!