“LNSP Supports Funding for Latvian National Basketball and Hockey Teams for Major Tournaments”

On Wednesday, May 3, the Latvian National Sports Council (LNSP) conceptually supported the allocation of funding to the Latvian Basketball Association for the participation of national teams in important tournaments. LNSP was also supported by the allocation of funding to the Latvian Hockey Federation for license fees and player contract insurance for the organization of the 2023 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Riga. The Ministry of the Interior explains that the amounts will be clarified.

The participants of the LNSP session listened to the information provided by the Latvian Basketball Association about the additional necessary funding for the preparation of the Latvian national men’s basketball team and participation in the 2023 FIBA ​​World Cup finals, as well as for the preparation of the Latvian national women’s basketball team and participation in the 2023 FIBA ​​European Championship finals. The final tournament of the 2023 FIBA ​​World Cup will be held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, while the final tournament of the 2023 FIBA ​​European Championship will be held in Israel. Both of these events are important for Latvian athletes, therefore LNSP encourages them to be supported by providing the necessary funding from the budget programs of the Ministry of Education and Science, clarifying the estimates.

The Council also heard the information provided by the LHF on the necessary funding for the license fee and the insurance of players’ contracts, in preparation for the organization of the 2023 IIHF World Ice Hockey Championship in Latvia (Riga). At the moment, the preparatory stage of the Latvian hockey team has already begun and on May 12, 2023, the most important hockey event of this year will begin – the 2023 IIHF World Championship in Latvia and Finland, which will take place until May 28. LNSP conceptually agreed that financial support from the state budget is needed to organize the championship, although the state has so far indicated that it will not be financially involved in supporting the tournament.

The Ministry of the Interior does not indicate what amounts have been decided to be allocated to LHF, – “the amounts will be clarified”. It was previously known that the LHF wanted to receive half a million euros from the state for the license fee of the world championship, and another 250,000 euros were wanted for holding the IIHF congress, the organizers of the world championship also undertake to organize the IIHF congress. However, now the documents no longer show support for the organization of the IIHF Congress, but the insurance of players’ contracts is said to be supported.

On the other hand, the Latvian Street Gymnastics Federation has submitted an application for the organization of the 2023 World Street Gymnastics Championship in Latvia and is ready to host the participants of the championship in Riga this fall. Appreciating the idea expressed by the association, the Riga city municipality has already coordinated the holding of the world championship in its administrative territory. The LNSP decided to harmonize the organization of the championship with the condition that athletes and sports workers from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus may not participate in the championship, as well as any other persons from the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus may not be involved in the organization of the championship, regardless of their status and the International Street Gymnastics Sports Federation rules and decisions, including in the status of a so-called “neutral” athlete. It is also determined that all expenses related to the organization of the championship shall be covered by the association “Latvijas Ielu vingrošanas federācija” or the funds of its supporters, without providing for the allocation of funds from the state budget.

At the LNSP meeting, the chairman of the council, Minister of Education and Science Anda Čakša initiated a discussion on the code of ethics of sports federations and the prevention and prevention of physical and emotional violence in sports classes for children and youth. Information from representatives of the Latvian Basketball Association, as well as the opinions and suggestions of possible solutions from the members of the Latvian Basketball Association were heard at the meeting.