"In non-Olympic sports, people rely on fanaticism, and sometimes it ends"

Sports Minister Mikhail Degtyarev proposed at the legislative level to give the Committee of National and Non-Olympic Sports of Russia a status similar to the ROC. In an interview with Izvestia, Roman Iliev, Chairman of the Board of the CNNVS, spoke about the functionality of his organization, explained what would give it such official recognition, and also noted the importance of holding the VII World Nomad Games in Kazan in 2028.

"National and non—Olympic sports are a huge ecosystem"

— What is your organization?

— The National Olympic Committee of Russia unites more than 70 public organizations involved in the development of national sports in our country. This is a huge ecosystem where both deeply archaic disciplines (tug of war, Yakut jumping) and modern, dynamically developing sports (laser tag, airsoft) coexist.

We see a clear demand from society to preserve the cultural code, and national sports are not just physical activity, but also history, costumes, rituals, and ancestral philosophy. Therefore, we strive to solve two seemingly opposite tasks — to preserve identity, but at the same time adapt these types to modern reality and make them popular.

If you "comb" all this to the strict standards of TV broadcasts, you can lose the very soul for which people come to competitions in these disciplines. On the other hand, we are well aware that the world now lives in the era of clip thinking and the struggle for the viewer's attention.

If a sport remains closed to a narrow circle of enthusiasts, it risks remaining in the shadows. It is necessary to adapt to modern formats in order to preserve traditions, but also to give them a second life. By doing so, we can attract young people, find sponsors, and make sure that our national sports are known not only in their regions of origin, but throughout the country.

You can't choose one thing without risking either turning into an ethnographic circle or losing your identity in pursuit of ratings. Therefore, the CNPC tries to build its strategy on the principle of maintaining a certain balance. So that national sports are understandable to modern people, but at the same time they do not lose their depth.

— How is your cooperation with the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation?

— It is the main regulator of the sports industry in our country and the main source of budget financing. The interaction here is based on the principles of public-private partnership and the program-target method. CNNVS acts as a kind of bridge between local enthusiasts and the Ministry. We help federations to get accredited, bring documentation in line with federal standards, and include disciplines in the All-Russian Sports Registry. It is impossible to receive state support without this status.

It turns out that the Ministry of Sports sets the rules of the game (standards, safety requirements, qualifications), and our committee helps federations package their projects so that they meet these requirements. In addition to serving as the head of the Board of the KNNVS, I am also the president of the Russian Sumo Federation, and have been heading it since 2019. During this time, this traditional Japanese sport has transformed from an exotic into an organic part of the Russian sports system.

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When will athletes from the Russian Federation be able to compete under the national flag and participate in international tournaments at home?

"In what way?"

— We tried to maintain a fine line between traditions and adaptation to our realities. On the one hand, sumo without traditions is just another type of belt wrestling. Rituals, respect for the opponent, the judges and Doha itself are the core of our sport. We carefully preserve this aesthetic, and Russian wrestlers accept it with great respect.

On the other hand, we have the Ministry of Sports, a unified All-Russian sports Classification, calendar plans and strict safety requirements, etc. But there is no conflict here. We act as a flexible bridge: Japanese philosophy gives sumo a soul and a unique flavor, while Russian legislation provides a strict legal foundation, transparency of selection and care for athletes' health.

The result is a unique fusion: our guys strictly follow the ancient canons on the carpet, and outside of it they work as professional athletes of a modern Russian school. We come to the regions and offer cooperation to local federations of sambo, judo, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. And the geography of sumo in Russia is rapidly expanding: the south of the country, Siberia and the Urals show excellent dynamics of the sport's development.

Moreover, in 2019, they managed to secure the right to host the World Sumo Championship in Moscow, but then the International Federation withdrew its decision due to well-known political events. Nevertheless, we are confident that sooner or later Russia will host the world championship.

"Non-Olympic sports do not have training bases in the regions"

— What will the recognition of the National Olympic Committee of Russia at the legislative level, which was mentioned by the Minister of Sports at the forum in Krasnoyarsk, give?

— We are grateful to the Minister of Sports for his deep understanding of the importance of national disciplines. We will make every effort to ensure that national sports become a full-fledged, powerful and integral part of the unified sports space of Russia, strengthen the health of the nation and increase the authority of our country in the international arena.

The latter aspect is especially important because Russian national sports have a great export potential. We are already actively working in this area — for example, we promote sambo, small towns, kettlebell lifting and other sports at the BRICS and SCO venues as part of Russia's soft power. This is a long-term game, and we see that interest in these disciplines on the international stage is growing every year. The recognition of CNNVS at the legislative level will only expand our capabilities. It will also help solve a number of accumulated problems.

"Like what?"

— Lack of infrastructure. We have fantastic coaches and athletes who manage to set world records by training in adapted gyms, on their word of honor and enthusiasm. But most universal sports complexes are designed for gaming or Olympic disciplines. Specific non-Olympic sports (for example, various types of auto and motorcycle sports, billiards or oriental martial arts) often simply do not have their own home — there are no training bases, there are no accessible playgrounds in the regions. Young people want to engage in modern and spectacular views, but when they come to the basement section with a leaky roof, their enthusiasm quickly fades.

In addition, there is staff starvation and burnout in the field. We often talk about athletes, but we forget about those who are behind them: coaches, referees, sports managers, marketers. In non-Olympic sports, the personnel training system works by inertia. Salaries of children's coaches in the regions are sometimes such that people rely solely on fanaticism, and it tends to end.

Besides, modern sports have long been more than just a stopwatch and a whistle. These are management, working with social networks, attracting sponsors, and organizing broadcasts. There are practically no professional sports managers who understand the specifics of non—Olympic disciplines on the market - there are only a few of them, and we are growing them piece by piece, by trial and error.

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"Russia is an ideal playground for nomads"

— Kazan recently received the right to host the 2028 World Nomad Games, one of the largest sporting events in Russia over the past five years. Did CNNC participate in the promotion of the application?

— The idea to hold the Games in Russia did not come from scratch. From the very beginning, we have been actively involved in the international nomad movement. Our delegations regularly attended the Games in other countries, including the last one, which took place in September this year in Bishkek. We studied the experience of the organizers, established contacts with international federations and, most importantly, demonstrated our deep interest.

The CNPC has initiated and organized numerous meetings at various levels, from working groups to government consultations. We prepared analytical notes, presentations, and explained why Russia, with its multinational composition and rich history of multinational peoples, is the ideal venue for such an event. We have shown that we have not only the desire, but also the infrastructure, the experience of holding major international forums and, of course, strong sports traditions. In fact, we have created a solid foundation on which Russia's official bid has grown.

— What do you expect from these Games?

— I am sure that they will be held at a high level, like all competitions that Russia holds. The organizing committee is just being formed. The state has the final say in all efforts on this project. But for our part, we are ready to provide the maximum assistance that is required.

Our committee has a unique expertise in the field of national sports, accumulated decades of experience in working closely with federations, developing these disciplines within the country through hundreds of festivals and championships. And we will be happy to share all the experience gained. This includes the development of regulations, cooperation with international and Russian sports federations, judicial support, as well as coordination of the training of national teams.

In fact, we are ready to take over the functions of the operator of the sports component of the Games. This will ensure a high professional level of the competitions and organically integrate them into the overall concept of this grandiose event.