Desired changes must start with legal norms and standards brought into due order. Laws that don't work should be remade. That's the usual global practice, he pointed out. To all appearances, Mr. Fetisov was referring to Russia's Law on Sport. Adopted late in the 1990s, it is outdated now.
To blueprint future-oriented sport strategies is among top Agency priorities. The effort will take the form of a federal program to promote sports in Russia-an unprecedented document, with no analogue to be found even in the Soviet years, with their great attention to athletics. Program concepts need only final brushstrokes now.
Physical culture and sport play a prominent social role. They have every chance for a key part in a national healthy living campaign, now underway, with the focus on the rising generation. Physical training needs a thorough reform everywhere from kindergarten to university, stressed Mr. Fetisov.
It is high time to thoroughly restructure Russian sport and everything that pertains to it. Federations of particular sports, which are public organizations, have managed to usurp managerial duties. "Let us now sum up everything we have gained or lost with that," said Mr. Fetisov-and stressed he was totally unbiased against any federation chief. "This is sport, and its achievements depend on bosses' efficiency."
He exemplified his point with Russian football developments and a controversy round the resignation of Vyacheslav Koloskov, Russian Football Union President. "Our footballers scored their last major success back in 1988, when they won the Seoul Olympics and European silver. The way things are in Russian football now may satisfy Josef Blatter, FIFA President, and Lennart Johansson, UEFA President. As to us Russians, we want a different place in world football," our interviewee emphatically said.
To bring back Russian trainers with current overseas employment is another top Agency priority. "To do that, we are to offer them terms no worse than what they have in the West." Top-notch professionals must find it interesting and rewarding to work in their home country.
Russia may invite foreign trainers, too, Mr. Fetisov said as our reporter asked him whether it was worthwhile to have expats training national teams, as is now the case in men's volleyball and ski-jumping. This is a promising arrangement, especially in games. Besides, "foreign trainers know better how to work with rich guys-and there are more rich guys in our national teams with every passing day."
As for Moscow's chance to host 2012 summer Olympics, each of the five bidder cities presently have equal opportunities. "Much will depend on our bid campaigning-on expertise with which we promote what we have to offer, and on personal qualities of the people engaged on the venture," said the sport boss.
