For several months, the next year’s budget, its distribution and size have been widely discussed at the national level and in society. The public is being signaled in various ways that challenging times are ahead and many need to look for austerity solutions. Every year, the sports industry faces increasing difficulties in attracting funding, which affects the development of sports, concern for achievements and the culture of sports activities in society as a whole.
Raimonds Lazdiņš: “We believe that we, as one of the largest representatives of the sports industry, which unites 41 sports organizations, should be involved in the creation of the sports budget. The LOK’s duty is to represent the interests of its members in negotiations with the government and to reach the best possible solution, as well as to present the National sports council members with perspectives and specifics in the sports sector. Throughout Europe and the world, sports and sports activities play an increasingly important role in people’s everyday life and society in general. If we do not talk about these issues today, then in 5 or 10 years we will face more and more with challenges in the health care system, the defense system, demographic issues, etc. It must be understood that these issues must be viewed in a complex and long-term perspective.”
One month ago, the Olympic qualification tournament ended, in which the Latvian hockey team won the right to participate in the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina. In 2025, representatives of other sports will also continue to participate in qualifying tournaments and accumulate rating points to ensure a place in the games. During 2-3 weeks, the Olympic Games attract a large part of the public’s attention, who experience emotional experiences and get positive feelings, disconnecting from everyday worries and gaining motivation for sports activities and pursuits. In order for Latvia to be represented in the biggest sports event in the world and to be able to fight for high-quality results, funding must be allocated and the athletes’ preparation must be thought about well before the games themselves.
There is still no clarity about the criteria for distribution of sports federations’ funding and objective procedures for their evaluation, which should also be discussed in the National Sports Council. The issue of sustainability and applicability of sports infrastructure should also be considered.
2024-09-27 01:10:22