Научная статья на тему 'Cooperation in physical training and sportsas an important factor of CIS countries integration'

Cooperation in physical training and sportsas an important factor of CIS countries integration Текст научной статьи по специальности «Социологические науки»

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Текст научной работы на тему «Cooperation in physical training and sportsas an important factor of CIS countries integration»

COOPERATION IN PHYSICAL TRAINING AND SPORTSAS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR OF CIS COUNTRIES INTEGRATION

K.A.Pshenko

Physical training and sports are an integral part of public life and social culture. The attitude of society towards sport activity allows one to judge the level of public consciousness and society development.

Challenges that the new independent states face in economic, political and social spheres may be successfully solved, provided there are objective prerequisites that facilitate overall development of an individuals creativity and healthy lifestyle. Therefore, issues of physical training and sports have objectively become topical for state-building processes in the countries of the Commonwealth. The social and economic situation in the CIS after the Soviet Union breakdown was described as a political, economic and social crisis. All of this affected the development of physical training, sports and cooperation of CIS countries in that sphere. Government finance was sharply reduced and the majority of the population lost an opportunity to participate in various sports that were almost cost free (30 kopeks per year). The new independent states provided no social guarantees to ensure maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.

In the 1990s, market relations were established in the sphere of physical training and sports in almost all the Commonwealth countries (except for Belarus and Turkmenistan). (Cooperation was typical for Russia, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and less typical for Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan). Seventy percent of the market was service based. As market relations developed, the role of the government in regulation of physical training and sport services changed. It had become increasingly differentiated, which showed in various methods of direct and indirect interventions (legal, pricing, tax, credit, etc.).

For many years, the sport of records served in the USSR as a tool to prove superiority of the socialistic system, which was to some extent one of the major reasons for active involvement of state and party organizations in its development. Since the middle of the 1990s, professional sports in the CIS have been increasingly performing different functions. Along with traditional functions (competition, educational, nurturing, peacemaking), it has begun to perform an entertainment and advertising function in the new environment. Transformation of professional sports' organizational structure showed in the creation of professional sport associations, as well as legally independent federations, leagues, unions by different sport types, in changing professional clubs' status

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based on economic and legal independence of professional sports actors. These profound changes that have a global nature have objectively caused turning professional sports into a business, i.e., development of commercial sports.

Without the state support and searching for self-assertion, commercial sports in the CIS started to actively use conditions and mechanisms of market relations. Many of its attributes (competitions, sportsmen, trainers, etc.) have attained high market value. Such changes necessarily affected the system of managerial and legal relationships between commercial sports professionals, sportsmen's remuneration, and it has had profound influence on their value orientations. The "Iron Curtain" fall, changes in sportsmen's value orientations towards material incentives, the hard economic and criminal situation in the countries of the Commonwealth, as well as high capabilities of national sports have resulted in many leading sportsmen involved in entertainment, hence more commercial types of sports, materialized in the country at the beginning of the 1990s. Although the basic reasons for going abroad were different, research of legionaries' opinion on the issue shows that they can be categorized by the following groups: material, need in respect and self-expression, need in security and a wish to "see the world".

This situation had a dubious influence on the development of commercial sports in the CIS countries. On the one hand, it had an adverse impact on the general condition of the national sports, particularly, on the performance of the majority of the leading clubs, since it was sportsmen from those clubs who left the country. The clubs not only lost historical top placement in national championships and international tournaments, but also a part of their fan base. Consequently, revenues that were so needed for switching to the new finance conditions were also lost. Lack of bright favorite players resulted in sharp reduction in attendance of competitions in many sports in the first half of the 1990s; and shook traditionally strong positions of sports in the system of public values.

On the other hand, money earned from sale of players and shares of teams to foreign investors enabled a number of clubs to adapt to the new conditions quicker; while life and play experience of legionaries upon their return to the country in many respects triggered the process of CIS commercial sports integration into world professional sports. Moreover, the leave of gifted but older sportsmen provided youth with an opportunity to succeed in a shorter time period. Some sportsmen have used this opportunity quite successfully. One of the examples is Spartak football team from Moscow, Russia, with the major part of "champion" members of the beginning of the 1990s substi tuted. Primarily due to gifted young players, it not only managed to win the national championship in 1998, but also has become the first Russian football team ever to play in the semi-

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final of the UEFA Cup. The teams success was appreciated by the club founders and attracted new advertisers and sponsors. Moreover, the club has gained additional income from the European tournaments and international matches, which is only realistic for the strongest teams. Thus, we observe dependence: the best performing team is usually a "richer" one, and most importantly less dependent on its sponsors (and on traditional in post-Soviet countries financial support of the state, if club founders included governmental entities).

The basis and prerequisites for further development of commercial sports in Russia started to form at the end of the 1990s. This was particularly reflected in preparation and development of special legislation about professional sports. This example shows active development of professional commercial sports, which is a new phenomenon for the CIS.

It is during the 1990s that top politicians of the new independent states began to think not only about preserving independent statehood, but also about cooperation in different areas including physical training and sports. Achievements of the 1990s include preservation of public cultural and sport organizations in the CIS; reorganization of the All-Union Physical Training and Sports Society of Trade Unions into the International Confederation of Sports Organizations; and preservation of contacts between heads of voluntary sports organizations in Russia and other CIS countries; and this has been a success. Hie first International Workers' Games with participation of teams from the CIS countries were held in Moscow for the first time after the USSR breakdown in 1993. International Workers' Games were held in 1994with participation of over one thousand athletes and sportsmen from Russia, the CIS countries, 15 countries of Europe, Asia and Africa. Sports and athletics meetings devoted to the 50th anniversary of the Victor)' in the Great Patriotic War and other large-scale sport events were held in 1995.

The level of cooperation between CIS countries on physical training and sports has increased as tjie International Confederation of Sports Organizations got the observer status by the standing Committee for culture, science, education and information of the CIS Interparliament Assembly. On December 07, 1998, the Interparliament Assembly Council approved the Concept for state support to physical training and sports in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Concept defined basic principles of the governmental policy in physical training and sports. These are: (a) Ensure continuity and succession of physical training for various age groups at all stages of life; (b) Take into account interests of all the citizens when developing and implementing programs for physical training and sports development; acknowledge responsibility for one's health and physical status; (c) Acknowledge independence of all physical training and sports associations that meet the requirements of the Concept;

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equality of their rights to governmental support and finance; (d) Create favorable conditions for financing physical training and sports, tourism, sports and engineering organizations and an Olympic movement, physical training and sports educational institutions, and research institutes, as well as manufacturers of sports goods and equipment.

The first International Sport Games of CIS countries were held under the aegis of the Interparliament Assembly in Minsk on June 23-26, 1999. 10 CIS countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine) took part in the Games. The total number of participants exceeded 1,000. The competitions were held in 11 sports among men and women in two age categories. Life has shown that, in spite of complications, sport is international and a unique phenomenon, and has always facilitated friendship between CIS nations.

The legal framework for physical training and sports is being developed in the CIS based on internationally accepted principles. The Council of Europe has adopted the European Sports Charter (1992) and the European Manifest "Young People and Sports" (1995). The CIS Interparliament Assembly adopted a model law "About Physical Training and Sports" on November 02, 1996. National laws about physical training and sports were adopted based on this law in other CIS countries. Thus, the Russian Federation adopted the- law "About Physical Training and Sports" on January 13, 1999. In February 1992, the Federation of Physical Training and Sports for Disabled Persons in Russia was created. The 2nd international conference "Veterans of Sports and Modern Society" took place in St.Petersburg on March 30- 31, 1999.

Thus, development of cooperation between the CIS countries on physical training and sports depended on many factors - legal framework, economic condition, governmental support, management system, professional qualifications and competence of people working in this sphere. Physical training and sports play many social roles and have multiple meaning for integration processes in the CIS (peoples health improvement; shaping patriotic feelings; peacemaking function; etc.). Therefore Russian and interstate coordinating organizations of the Commonwealth supported cooperation on physical training and sports between the member countries through the relevant measures over the entire period in question. Development of physical training and sports is an important precondition of peoples healthy lifestyle and sustainable development of the state and society.

Translated by Central Office of Translations (SPb.)

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