How Tatarstan came up with a new sport

“We must turn to sports science”

The goals and objectives of the Public Council for Sports were determined through a public vote held among Tatarstan residents. 2,688 citizens took part in the discussion of draft priority tasks. Through joint efforts, 58 different proposals were made, which were considered by relevant departments of the sports departments. The council discussed 18 proposals, or almost a third of what was announced. The current members of the counci and experts identified seven priority tasks.

Ongoing work on developing sports infrastructure, carrying out major repairs to facilities, and identifying predispositions for various sports in children were among them. To implement the third task, it was proposed to create at least one centre for early physical development of children. This topic was of particular interest to Rustem Abzalov, professor of the Department of Theory and Methodology of Physical Culture, Sports, and Exercise Therapy at the Institute of Physical Medicine and Biology of Kazan University.

“We must turn our face to sports science. The whole world has already done this since about the 70s, and this is where new technologies came from, and the doping problem became more acute. One way or another, without sports science, there will be no sports achievements,” the speaker defended this point.

It is known about extensive development of team sports in France and Australia, South Korea and Japan, especially in team sports, after the creation of sports universities. Their numerous teams — basketball, volleyball, even football — are the tip of the iceberg, and in relation to China, for example, the entire iceberg, though already in relation to individual sports.

Now, for the sake of Olympic victories, people devote themselves to sports from the age of five, and sports science should help them in this, Abzalov addressed the members of the Public Council and was heard.

“Real Abzalov,” First Deputy Minister of Sport of Tatarstan Khalil Shaikhutdinov characterised the fiery speech of the speaker recalling Abzalov number one, legendary dean of the sports department of the Kazan Pedagogical Institute Rinat Abzalov, the father of Rustem Abzalov and the teacher of Shaikhutdinov himself.

“Provide athletes with a stipend and additional payment for their coaches”

Abzalov defended the proposal, which in full sounds like this: “Create a center for early physical development of children to identify predisposition to various sports.” It will also be considered at the level of the federal Ministry of Sport.

Having slightly stumbled on this point and spent the lion's share of the total time of the Public Council meeting on discussing it, the following points were adopted like clockwork. “Conduct a series of sports and physical education and health events for disabled people and people with disabilities, including for participants in a special military operation and disabled children, involving at least 1,100 people.” The council members voted without objection.

“Provide a stipend for athletes who have shown high athletic results in international and all-Russian sports competitions, and additional payment for their coaches — at least 900 athletes and 85 coaches per year.” Absolute unanimity.

“Increase the coverage of minors involved in sports organizations of the Republic of Tatarstan, from among minors registered in various types of records, by at least 100 people.” Here a hitch arose in terms of whether, in addition to members of the Public Council, experts could also vote. The director of Zilant Handball Club Konstantin Gorbunov doubted, but, having received permission to vote from Chairman Shaikhutdinov, he raised both arms.

“Increase the share of the population systematically involved in physical education and sports, from the total population from 63.3 to 65%. Here at first there was some doubt, after all, an increase of 1.7% on the scale of the republic is more than 60,000 people, but Deputy Minister of Sport Ildar Sadriyev asked to leave this item on the agenda. It should be noted that Ildar Sadriyev himself is seriously involved in sports and in this case acts by personal example. He is confident that the new sports facilities delivered at the end of 2024 and scheduled for completion at the beginning of 2025, will increase the total number of people involved.

It is worth noting that the Public Council on Sports, as a living organism, is changing, changing its members. Thus, instead of Yevgeny Chekashov, who became a deputy of the State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Public Council includes Senior Lecturer of the Volga Region University of Sports Marcel Miftakhov who previously also worked in legislative activities in the State Council.

“I hope that the upcoming Year of the Snake will be successful for us,” summed up Emir Kharisov, head of the voluntary sports society Burevestnik, and his optimistic expectations are based on memories of the previous Year of the Snake, 2013, when the International Summer Universiade was successfully held in Kazan.

By the way, Emir Kharisov set the tone for the event recalling that the meeting coincided with the birthday of the actor, clown and front-line soldier Yuri Nikulin who was acquainted with the legendary hockey player Vyacheslav Fetisov. Kharisov himself, the son of the people's poet of Tatarstan Renat Kharis, connected his life with sports: both student sports and such sports as table tennis and breakdance. He is the president of the republican federation, and the federation itself has risen to the ranks of the leading ones in the world.

By the way, Tatarstan in 2024 became a region that made an interesting change in the structure and calendar of sports competitions. The case is that duathlon is developing in the republic — this is swimming and running among visually impaired athletes, an analogue of triathlon, only without the cycling component. Two leading athletes of the republic have achieved the fact that aquathlon for visually impaired athletes will now be developed in Russia.