Sergei Baidakov: “The harder the situation gets, the harder we’ll work”

Фото: Sergei Baidakov (photo Andrey Golovanov, Sergey Kivrin)

Conversation with the deputy-mayor of Moscow Government of Interregional Cooperation, Sports and Tourism.

Sergei Lvovich, we live in a hard time: big psychological loadings, prompt rhythm of life. It demands certain training, preparation and strong nerves. How could you state the modern industry of health and sports in the capital?

I can give the highest estimation to the development level of the sports industry in Moscow. It is a really serious branch that runs up to 200 objects: stadiums, health-improving complexes, the rehabilitation centers and many other things. Over 10 thousand persons are occupied in this branch. These are coaches, methodologists, sport doctors, heads of the teams and sport constructions. But the most important thing is that the basis was created – methodological, legal, financial, organizational, personnel – for that successful functioning of the branch. Because 6-7 years ago there have been only two-three dozens of sport schools in Moscow. Practically there were no healthimproving complexes on the residence, all work was made on the open areas, and there were no personnel for this purpose. And today we form the program – “Moscow Sports - 3” for the next three years, 2010-2012. In June it would be confirmed at the session of the government. And so, today its «price» is 124 billion roubles! So you can imagine the level of investments to this branch and level of those problems which are being solved.
And the most important thing is that we have defined for ourselves the purposes which we aspire.

Speaking about the purposes, name two-three priorities.

The first is the question of free and accessible sport, the second – the perfection of material resources and the third – personnel, medical, legal, methodological and other provision of all sports development program in Moscow. These are three basic directions, three primary goals which have to be solved first.

You need people to work on these problems…

Yes, today the problem of peopleware in sports work in Moscow is quite relevant. At first it is involved not only with the fact that the people leave branch, but that the branch changes itself. We plan to build nearly one hundred new objects within the next two-three years. And we need at least 3-5 thousand people to operate them, train children, to hold competitions - those who’ll be engaged in coach, pedagogical and administrative work. Certainly, we are interested in involving experts. But there is a question – where from? Not only from the institutions of higher learning. I am sure that the former sportsmen can find themselves here – they are an excellent reserve, people who are able and ready to work with children. We count on the veterans also. Today, by the way, lots of them are working with the teams on the serious level, including children’s sports.
We pose very difficult problem –to fulfill school sport halls in no learning time, when teachers of physical culture will lead sections, clubs and hold competitions additionally.

Sergei Lvovich, I can’t help asking the question about the crisis, which sharpest period, according to many experts, will happen at the second half of 2009 – the beginning of 2010. How it will affect on the sport development of our city?

Crisis affects negatively on the development of any branch. And sport makes no exception. The main question is how much we are able to resist those negative tendencies which we face today. I think that it’s senseless to argue that the crisis is a bad thing. And to whom it is good? It’s like tsunami – it is reality. But the more difficult situation gets, the more intensively, systematically we should work. And if the complex of anti-recessionary measures on branch support is thought over well and we can convince the government in correctness of our offer, sports branch will function effectively even in uneasy economic conditions.
What do we do today for sports supporting? First of all, we take care of sport objects, making favorable economic conditions for their functioning. Sport object today is the whole enterprise: facility operation, equipment purchase, payment for public utilities, land tax etc. Now days the law on sixfold reduction of the land tax for sport enterprises is considered in Moscow City Council. Its essentiality becomes clear if we take a look at such objects, as, for example, «Luzhniki», «Olympiyskiy», “the Rowing channel”, «Hodynka», which have big ground areas. We attentively analyze the federal legislation too.

What do we have to do to help Moscovites even in these difficult conditions to visit stadiums and sport halls? To create a possibility for free sports. For this purpose it is necessary to use not only health-improving complexes, but schools sport halls also – these are the places where Moscovites should spend their free time, children firstly.

We also have a specific target (by the way, within the limits of the program “Moscow Sports - 3”): to teach all children up to the 5th grade swimming. Does the city have such possibilities? It appears to be the whole army of schoolboys!
Today we have such possibility! We develop the program of use of all our pools for this purpose. And we will solve this problem so that each pupil of the 5th grade would be able to swim. We have no purpose to make all children rated sportsmen or champions, but every child would be on friendly terms with water, without being afraid of it, and that is the main thing.
I will tell you the following: Moscow developed sports branch actively for last years, built much: health-improving complexes, stadiums, many other things. Actually the whole capital worked on creation of this health industry. And now this is the time for this infrastructure to work on Muscovites.

Sergei Lvovich, what is your favorite kind of sport?

Sambo, basketball and its sonny – street basketball (streetball). I love powerful kinds of sport. Swimming. Hockey, certainly. I played water polo too. However, to be more correct – I love sport in general.

It looks like pentathlon.

But of a special kind, so-called “baidakovskoe”, on which competitions are still not held. By the way, the streetball season started in Moscow at the end of April. It included the Cup devoted to the Victory Day. Traditional «Moscow open-2009» - analogue of the small World Championship among national teams in street basketball.

And why do you love sambo?

Sambo, I think, is on the rise now. I know the situation from inside because I head Moscow Sambo Federation on a voluntary basis. Last year the conception of development of this kind of sport for the next five years has been accepted. 2008 was a special year in general, it was a jubilee of sambo – 70th anniversary, and therefore we’ve held many actions. We have even made an anniversary performance on the Red Square. The idea was to draw attention of the state, of the public. After all it is our national kind of sport! Many wrestlers dream sambo to become an Olympic kind of sport and I speak: even if it does not happen, it is much more important for us that it is recognized by the population.

The youth has responded?

Yes, certainly. Children’s sections, sport schools departments are being opened. The more children will come to the trainings, the more we will be quiet and sure that our children are not only physically strong, but also spiritually developed, because sambo is not only muscles. It is the whole educational system: mental, moral.

Sergei Lvovich, how often does Jurii Mikhailovich Luzhkov show interest in sport questions?

The mayor is in complete course of our affairs, he is constantly interested in them. Jurii Mikhailovich is the sports person. You know, football, tennis, golf – are his special love.
The mayor is seriously concerned with the development of children’s mass sport. Here is an example: when the “Olympic hopes” tournament finals have passed, Jurii Mikhailovich opened it, welcomed its participants. And he does so always.
Well, you know perfectly that many of the sport venues have been constructed by the initiative of the mayor. Look, Krylatskoye is, really, the whole sport city, «Hodynka» too. And the skating centre in Krylatskoye? It is really a unique construction. It has very fast ice which is liked by all skaters.

What would you like to read on the pages of “Moscow sports”?

I like your edition. You always find a new, unusual form for the themes presentation! Move further in the same direction. Write about children, about invalids, write about our champions, about competitions, and announce their holding. The more different information about people, events will be in your magazine, the better it will carry out the problem of popularization of physical training and sport!

Sergei Lvovich, are you longing for the Central district?

I miss it. But the life is going on. I will never forget the Central district; I will always help people who work there. But today there are new problems - not less interesting -which should be solved. The Central district is my life, my history, but it is necessary to move forward.