SPORT

Development of mass physical culture, as well as children’s, youth and professional sport are traditionally paid much attention to in the Republic of Mordovia. It is one of the priorities of regional social policy.
The republic possesses all modern sports facilities to host competitions of Russian and international levels. Following facilities were put into operation under Federal special purpose programme “Development of physical culture and sport in the Russian Federation” and Regional special purpose programme “Development of physical culture and sport in the Republic of Mordovia”: 25 multi-functional sports gyms, 20 stadiums, interregional summer sports centre “Start”, ski-and-biathlon centre, downhill skiing centre, 3 swimming-pools, 2 ice palaces, sports complex “Mordovia”, BMX-centre and Olympic training centre.
According to the Agreement, signed between the Republic of Mordovia and political party “United Russia”, 6 multi-functional air-supported sports and recreation centers, 5 skating rinks in districts and 1 tennis centre were built since 2006. Over 100 sports facilities were reconstructed and put into operation since 2002. It is a priority direction in development of physical culture and sport in Mordovia.
A number of large sports facilities will be constructed as part of the Plan of main celebration events of 1000-year unity of Mordovian people with peoples of the Russian state.
A unique Indoor football and track-and-field athletics manege with artificial field, eight 400-meter race tracks, track-and-field sectors, grand stands for 10 thousand seats is being built in Saransk with assistance from the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation. The manege will become part of the united complex with boarding school of Olympic training center of race-walking. It will have a dining hall, a hotel for 80 persons, a center for restorative medicine and a swimming-pool. The manege will comply with all requirements to organize football and track-and-field athletics competitions at the highest level. II phase of construction of ski-and-biathlon complex will include service center, boarding school for 200 persons, dining hall. It is planned to extend the ski-run and build a penalty loop. Multipurpose sports complex for 8 thousand seats is being built in the very center of Saransk within the territory of future Millennium square. It is designed for sports competitions, concerts, as well as transformation into ice arena.
Construction of Water sports palace is about to be complete. It complies with all international standards to hold water sports competitions at the highest level. 50-meter swimming-pool as well as high-board diving sector with springboards and diving towers specially equipped for international competitions will be built in Mordovia for the first time.
Saransk is in the list of 13 Russian cities, which according to Russia’s bid will host matches of FIFA World Cup 2018. The capital of Mordovia has already started its preparations in part of sport, transport, communal infrastructure and construction of football stadium with 46 thousand seats which will fully comply with requirements of International Federation of Association Football (FIFA).

Different sports competitions of national and international level are organized in the republic, which proves high level of its sport development. Two IAAF Grand Prix Finals in race-walking, Russian championships in short track, figure skating, race-walking, track and field athletic were held in Saransk. IX Summer Spartakiada Games of Gazprom and III International forum “Russia – country of sports” were organized in the capital of Mordovia in 2011. IAAF World Cup and Greco-Roman wrestling championship will be organized in Saransk in 2012.
Cooperation Agreement between Mordovia and the Ministry of Sport, Tourism and Youth Policy of the Russian Federation was signed in May 2010. It covers cooperation issues on development of 22 kinds of sport in the republic. Mordovia is defined as a base center for development of 7 summer and 3 winter “supporting” Olympic kinds of sport, such as track-and-field athletics, weight-lifting, Greco-Roman wrestling, BMX-cycling, judo, artistic gymnastics, volleyball, cross-country skiing, biathlon and short-track. All districts of the republic are assigned with 5-7 base kinds of sport, which are paid specific attention to.   
System-based support of child-and-youth sport, selection and training of young sportsmen became the ground for victories in big-time sport. Over one hundred and twenty times Russian anthem was played and Russian flag was raised to honor our champions on international competitions within the last seven years. 3 Olympic champions and 3 Olympic prize-winners, 30 World champions, 20 European champions, 21 World and European Cup winners, 19 winners of World and European competitions and over 200 Russian champions were trained in the republic within this period. In 2011 alone Mordovian sportsmen won 8 golden medals in 5 kinds of sport at World and European championships, World Cups and World Universiade.
Mordovian Ogarev State University was included into the list of National Research Universities in 2010. It also became known at international level. Men’s volleyball team for two years in a row (2009-2010) won European championship for student teams. In 2011 they took the third place.
By the results of Russian race-walking championship, which was held in Saransk, the whole national team in race-walking consisted of sportsmen trained in Olympic Training Center. In September 2011 this team participated in IAAF World Championships in Athletics (Track and Field) – Daegu, South Korea. 17 out of 83 Russian athletes at the world championship were from Mordovia. Mordovian sportsmen won 7 medals – 3 golden, 2 silver, 2 bronze at that championship.
Today our sportsmen are trained specifically for XXX Summer Olympic Games in London and XXII Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. 164 sportsmen are members of different Russian national teams in different kinds of sport. They will compete for medals in 15 disciplines of 6 kinds of sport. 
Within the last years a lot of attention in Mordovia is paid to upbringing the younger generation with sporting spirit. New children’s and youth sports schools appear, branches of different kinds of sports open.

Two brand new all-Russian sports projects started in general education institutions of the republic in 2008-2009 academic years: “Mini-football – to school” and Basketball School League “KES Basket” Championship, which held its Finals in Saransk in March last year. Since 2003 3rd hour of physical culture was added to our schools in order to attract children and youth to healthy lifestyle and increase their activity. In 2003 50% of schools practiced it, nowadays in 84% of schools students have physical culture classes 3 times a week. Several comprehensive schools in Mordovian districts (Ichalkovsky, Ruzayevsky) in order to attract younger generation to a healthy lifestyle introduced  “Sports Saturdays” as an experiment. As part of the project schoolchildren during the whole day are involved into physical culture and sport. Schools of Ardatovsky district organized sports clubs, which are operated by the teenagers themselves.
Outdoor sports games are of great popularity among the younger generation of the republic. Youth public organizations hold tournaments in street mini-football, street-ball, volleyball, lapta, gorodki. Hereinafter a task of rebirth of mass outdoor sports should be one of the main. For example, one of the most important indicators of physical culture and sports development is percentage of population, which are regularly engaged in sports activities. Within the last 10 years this percentage in Mordovia increased by 3 times and now amounts to 28.3%.
Legal framework is developed in the region to render state support to physical culture and sport. In particular subsidies from the republican budget are provided to organizations, which render physical culture and sports services to population and hold mass sports events. Five years ago we were the first in the country to start giving awards and grants to our best sportsmen and coaches, including coaching teachers for children under 17 years old on the annual basis.

As a result of performances at largest world championships the best sportsmen and coaches, which trained World and Olympic prize-winners receive state awards of Republic of Mordovia and bonuses from Head of Republic of Mordovia. High-qualification specialists are provided with official housing for the period of 5 years. Afterwards the coach can become the owner of this housing if he/she shows good professional results.
And this is just one of the instruments of state support of physical culture and sport in the republic.