OREANDA-NEWS. Following the world junior hockey championship’s opening match between Russia and the USA, Vladimir Putin met with the directors, shareholders and sponsors of Russian hockey clubs.

Developing children’s, youth and mass sport was the main subject of discussion at the meeting.

Soviet hockey legends Boris Mikhailov, Vladimir Petrov, Vladislav Tretyak, and Alexander Yakushev took part in the meeting.

* * *

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN: Friends,

I congratulate you all on this junior championship’s good start. This was the first official match played on this ice and it was a success, a victory. The guys made us all happy. This means that we have a new generation on the way in sports, in hockey, and a good future ahead.

First, I want to thank you for coming. We have here the directors, sponsors, and main shareholders in Russia’s biggest hockey clubs. But since we are here today at the junior championship, and I hope many of you will stay on, I propose that we discuss developing mass children’s sport today and look at what the teams that you sponsor and run are doing to develop children’s and youth sport.

I invited famous hockey players from past years to come today. They are people we are all proud of and love, and I wanted them to take part in today’s meeting. We would be happy to hear any ideas they might have to share.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak and Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko are responsible for sports in the Government, and in the Presidential Executive Office this area is the responsibility of my neighbour on the left, [Presidential Aide] Yury Trutnev, who you all know.

I propose that we dispense with long speeches today. Let’s hear what you have to say and hear about how you see your role in developing mass sport through the infrastructure that your clubs have at their disposal.

Let’s start by congratulating [Chairman of the Board of Directors and President of Dynamo Hockey Club] Arkady Rotenberg on Dynamo’s victory in the Gagarin Cup. Thank you to the whole team for this. Please pass on my congratulations to the team.

Let’s start with you. I know that you are involved in this work in Moscow and you also have some children’s and youth sports work going on in St Petersburg. Please, you have the floor. Then we will hear from Vitaly Mutko at the end. Of course, children’s and youth sport and mass sport in general is the regions’ job, but I know that you are involved in this work too and are aware of the issues. Our colleagues will speak, and then you.