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The representatives of the technical sports federations made suggestions on how to modify the Sports Law and other regulations that are detrimental to technical sports due to their specificities. Such proposed amendments were already submitted to the government in 2018 and 2019, and the request to meet with the Seimas Commission for Youth Affairs and Sport was sent in 2020 in February. But the conversation only took place a year later.
The main problem posed by technical sports is the disproportionate funding of these (28 in total) sports compared to Olympic and strategic sports. Funding for technical sports federations is well behind the Olympic / strategic average. For example, the Lithuanian Motorcycle Sports Federation (LMSF) receives 25 thousand LTL from the state budget. Eur, Lithuanian Automobile Sports Federation (LASF): 55 thousand. Eur., When the average funding of an Olympic / strategic sports federation reaches 137 181 Eur. This financial gap and inappropriate differences are due to the inadequate performance measurement principles applied.
Not all medals receive the same awards
At the meeting, the president of the Lithuanian Motorcycle Sports Federation, Robertas Benediktavičius, long named the athletes of technical sports, representing Lithuania at the highest level, in the world and European championships, the Dakar Rally.
This is Tomas Gurkšnys – 2020. European Jet Ski Champion, Audrius Rastenis – 2018. Aircraft World Champion, Water Formula (F2) European Champion and Vice World Champion (2020) Edgar Riabko, European Rally Champion Cross (2018) Rokas Baciuška, Stages Motocross World Championship 2020 winner Arminas Jasikonis, winner of the “solo” class of the Dakar Rally Arūnas Gelažninkas, stage winner of the Dakar Vaidotas Žala, best result (of all Baltic countries) winner of the Dakar Benediktas Vanagas, Kajus Šikšnelis, bronze winner (second place) and Joris Vainius (third place).
Facebook photo / Tomas Gurkšnys, President of the Lithuanian Jet Ski Federation
However, as the representatives of the technical sports federations have pointed out, under the current financing procedure of technical sports, which, unlike Olympic sports, are considered less important, even after a miracle, such as Lithuania winning Formula 1, MOTO GP or World Rally (WRC), would not receive an award, nor a scholarship, but a minister’s drink and a Lithuanian tricolor and would in no way encourage funding from the federation. Is it in this order that Lithuania can develop its Lewis Hamilton, Valentino Rossi or Carlos Sainz by supporting them with bottles?
R.Benediktavičius calculated that the Lithuanian Federation of Motorcycle Sports, which currently receives 25 thousand. The annual support in euros, if financed on an equal footing with the Olympic / strategic sports federations, taking into account the medals won, the number of athletes and participation in international federations, could expect at least 75-85 thousand. Eur support. Why does such inequality or the value of the medals differ?
According to R. Benediktavičius, obviously the principle of equality of persons in sports is violated, different groups are evaluated according to different criteria.
Here is just one of them. In accordance with the criteria established in the Sports Law, which allocates budget support funds for the implementation of high-performance sports programs, priority is given to federations in which at least 16 continents from at least 16 countries have participated in the competition (together with the selection competition).
The LMSF president says such requirements are irrational and offers to delve into the details of each sport: the championships are multi-stage, they take place on different continents. After all, only 13 countries compete in F1 and only 14 in the WRC. Does this mean that F1 and WRC are not high-risk competitions, even though the competitions are held on five continents?
It proposes to indicate common evaluation criteria
According to the president of the Lithuanian Automobile Sports Federation, Egidijus Janavičius, the financing of sports should follow several common criteria:
“Let’s define what we expect from sport in general: physical activity, setting a good example for young people and making Lithuania famous in the world. According to these points, technical sports are not inferior to either the Olympic or the strategic sports, ”said E. Janavičius.
Photo by Tomas Markelevičius / 15min / Egidijus Janavičius
Seimas member Sergejus Jovaiša has noted from his experience that politicians are afraid of funding technical sports because they seem so expensive. However, it was later agreed that, including municipal budgets, p. Eg for basketball clubs, the landscape is definitely changing and technical sports do not seem so expensive.
E. Janavičius agrees that the water formula, the Dakar or Formula 1 cost a lot. However, it proposes not financing sports equipment (cars, planes or motorcycles) but the federations themselves so that they can improve infrastructure and promote the younger generation.
Because now Lithuania is in an uncomfortable situation: the Nemunas Ring route on the brink of bankruptcy for the second time (already declared bankrupt due to inactivity of KKSD and ŠMSM and lack of competence from the former manager, shortage. When, for For example, the Latvian Ministry of Education has been paid annually 600 thousand euros each for a license to organize the stage of the World Rally Cross Championship on the Bikernieki track, and the state has been providing allocated 2 million for the renovation of the path EUR.
Estonia’s Pärnu Ring Road is the best in the Baltic countries, and the country’s government has allocated 2.5 million for the organization of the World Rally Championship (WRC) stage. (out of 4.3 million).
Another example. In the Czech Republic, the representative of aviation sports, which took 1-8 places in the World or European Championships, is 100%. supported by the state. Lithuania, compared to this practice in European countries, is far from the margins.
E. Janavičius was seconded by Tomas Gurkšnys, President of the Lithuanian Jet Ski Federation (LVMSF). He realizes that the situation is the same in this sport. The athletes who compete with jet skis, who have practically no training infrastructure, demonstrate excellent form in international competitions, but are not valued in Lithuania. After winning medals at the European Championships in 2020, they didn’t even get thanked for making Lithuania’s name famous.
Technical sports representatives work in the working group only as guests.
Karolis Ramoška, general secretary of the Lithuanian Motor Federation, delegated by representatives of technical sports to the working group formed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sports to review the Sports Law, works there only as a guest. Therefore, here too technical sports are considered secondary.
“Only LTOK’s position and suggestions are clearly visible and heard in the working group meetings. As soon as I had a chance to speak and make suggestions, I was interrupted. I have been told that our sports are specific and should be explored separately. So the law keeps adjusting without our suggestions.
I was surprised by the statement from LTOK President Daina Gudzinevičiūtė that technology, not athletes, wins in technical sports. And that technical sports are maintained by the manufacturers of the equipment used in the competition … Does it turn out that the athletes of the technical port are insignificant people? Aren’t they the personalities you need to cultivate? Technique is just a tool to help you achieve victories. However, it is not the technique that wins, but the athlete. Is it only the rifle that won the Olympic medal and not the athlete?
No manufacturer maintains or has maintained technical sports. Only by working hard and in a systematic way we find sponsors for athletes and teams, but not for federations. Thus, in the working group for the adaptation of the law, changes are made without taking into account our problems and suggestions.
The Lithuanian Federation of Motor Boats has high expectations of the Seimas during this period. And if the LTOK (unnamed) version of the Sports Law is adopted, we will no longer have to represent Lithuania, but another state that does not discriminate against individual athletes and sports, as Lithuania does, ”Karolis Ramoška commented.
“The federations should not use the funds of the sponsors for the activities of the federation to survive. The support of the sponsors must be given to the children, the highly trained athletes, the national teams, the safety and the quality of the events ”, responded R. Benediktavičius.
The operation of the airfields is paralyzed by a dubious transformation
Eglė Paužuolienė, President of the Lithuanian Aero Club, added another to the whole bunch of problems, showing a large gap between the treatment and funding of individual sports federations. It involves the transfer of aerodromes from the aeronautical jurisdiction to municipal sponsorship. According to E.Paužuolėnė, this leads to the destruction of aviation sports.
This is due to the deterioration of access to the aerodrome infrastructure. Because for some municipalities, the airfield is just a real estate object.
“There is no unified state approach, and its lack prevents new people from coming to sports. The transfer of airfields to municipalities did not improve but worsened the situation. As problems at the state level have become local, the importance of self-government. This in no way solves the issue of financing “, summed up E. Pauuoluolienė the problems of technical sports.
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