29 April 2011, 15:55
Mykola Tomenko, Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is convinced that the administrative reform has actually liquidated state support of physical culture, recreation and sports. He made this statement, commenting on the results of reforms implemented by the Ministry on Youth and Sports.
"The given document has actually liquidated state support of physical culture, recreation and sports", stated M. Tomenko. According to him, present State Service on Youth and Sports which is in charge of physical culture and sports is merely an institutional organization that adopts documents but does not solve any problems. M. Tomenko admitted that in the result of such changes, the scrutiny of pressing issues in the sphere of physical culture and sports may become a time-consuming task. He explained that the state actually supports only football and hockey, as they are among the priorities of the acting authorities. "All other programs development of the physical culture and ‘unfashionable´ sports have been deprived of financial support", he admitted. The Deputy Chairman stressed that despite declarations of the state leaders on the priority of physical culture, health improvement and sports, this priority of state has actually been liquidated after the administrative reform.
The Deputy Chairman of the Parliament reminded of his appeal to the President of Ukraine with a proposal to hold a sports congress with sportsmen and experts to set the directions of physical culture development. "However, the President has not responded yet", he stated.