"We came to the World Cup with our tents, but we won": racer Sayfutdinov on the problems of speedway in Russia

- How did it happen that the Russian team was left without funding at the World Team Championship Speedway of Nations - 2020?

- In fact, this problem has existed for more than one year.

The national team should be financed by the Russian Motorcycle Sports Federation (MFR).

But we do not receive any support, although we have become world champions for three years in a row and have earned a different attitude towards ourselves.

For example, in Poland, a separate item of expenditure is allocated to the national team for training equipment, equipment, overalls.

We don't have that.

Therefore, we have to pay a lot out of our own pockets.

- Due to the lack of identical overalls, sanctions were not imposed on the Russian team?

- I do not yet know for sure whether we were fined.

We explained the situation, asked the organizers to understand our situation.

Initially, the team was generally incomplete and without a head coach.

Then we added the junior, and I took on the role of manager.

- Why were you left without a coach?

- It was deployed at the border.

Since I am the captain of the national team, I had to go to meetings of managers, solve organizational issues and at the same time prepare for the races.

Therefore, everything fell on our shoulders.

Of course, we are not against it, but we would like professionals to help us.

Indeed, for their part, athletes do everything that depends on them - they win, proving with their results that speedway should exist in Russia.

- Do the same problems exist at the internal level?

- Yes.

Previously, many teams participated in the domestic championship, now there are only four left.

They are supported by the budgets of cities or regions.

Many clubs have tracks, but there is no opportunity to register for competitions, raise young people.

Accordingly, the riders do not progress and do not have the opportunity to leave for other European countries.

Although we have many talented athletes.

- Are there many people who want to do speedway in Russia?

- Lots of.

As far as I know, about 100 people are engaged in the section of the Mega-Lada club in Togliatti.

Of course, not everyone can count on high results, but five people would definitely make their way to the top.

But for this you need to work, give children good professional motorcycles, high-quality equipment.

- Technique is also very expensive?

- Yes, since we do not have ready-made motorcycles, everything is selected individually for each rider.

The frame, wheels, bolts are bought.

And the motors themselves are not cheap - each about € 6-6.5 thousand. And for the season you need five or six.

And not the fact that everyone will work well.

If one does not fit, you need to redo it or buy a new one.

For example, this year I had problems with the motor and had to reconfigure it before each stage of the Grand Prix.

Therefore, we do not have a minimum or maximum budget, and without speedway support it is very difficult, especially if you do not have a name.

Polish racer Bartosz Zmarzlik was sponsored by the country's largest oil company.

And now he doesn't have a headache when problems arise.

- Have financial difficulties always existed or have arisen in recent years?

- I have been with the national team since 2007, and since then nothing has changed.

There are no sponsors or support from the federation.

- What are the athletes doing to solve the problem?

- In recent years, we literally shout about her.

We try to write letters, I personally wrote to the President of the Russian Federation, to the Ministry of Sports for seven or eight years in a row.

But all requests were either returned back, or I was told that I needed to contact the federation.

We are looking for sponsors through friends.

When my late father Damir Sayfudinov was the head coach of the national team, he had to negotiate with a Polish company producing barriers to give us money for overalls and blankets for motorcycles.

- Do you really have no one to help?

- Alas, few people are interested in speedway, in Russia many do not even know what it is, although in Europe it is now very popular.

We have to look for funds there.

For example, my season depends on whether I sign a contract in the Polish league.

If this happens, I will receive the minimum amount that will be used to pay for mechanics, purchase equipment and motors, spare parts, and flights.

Of course, there are European partners, but I would like domestic sponsors to notice us, so that the Russian speedway develops.

Despite my dual citizenship, I do not give up, I continue to compete for my country, under the Russian flag.

And I'm proud of it.

- It turns out that everything depends on the unwillingness of the federation to help?

- Of course, because she issues licenses, which means she must take care of such things.

You call them, and they say that they cannot help, and you do not know who else to turn to.

Therefore, we are trying on our own, with comrades, through friends, to seek funds.

Indeed, in other countries - in Poland, Sweden - racers exist at the expense of federations.

At the World Championships, the England team had a psychologist, cook, physiotherapist.

The Poles have separate beautiful boxes.

And we, as collective farmers, came with our tents, but we won.

The IFR should have people who would be involved in the development of sports, sell the product to investors and sponsors.

Thanks to my international career, I have gained some experience, I can see how everything works.

I am ready to help with a word, suggest.

But so far I can not find a person who would listen to me.

- Did you offer your help to the federation?

- Yes, I said to President Alexander Jeus: "You have connections, I have opportunities and experience."

They agreed with me, and the next day everything was forgotten.

I don't know why this is happening.

Probably, everyone has their own interests and this interferes with overall development.

- What should be done in the first place to change the situation?

- Firstly, changes must take place in the IFR itself, because not only the speedway has problems, but also other disciplines.

It is necessary to establish cooperation with athletes, create full-fledged teams at the adult and junior level, organize centralized training camps for them.

The same goes for club competitions.

Perhaps it is worth organizing a single league that would be subordinate to the federation.

So far, everything rests on the shoulders of enthusiasts, but no one succeeds, because the costs do not pay off.

Secondly, you need to lure people to the stadiums, infect them with a speedway.

Although after the television broadcasts of international starts, the number of fans increased.

Before, after all, many did not know what kind of sport it was, although we have a rich history and results.

The media should tell about us, show in the news.

- Will it attract more sponsors?

- Yes, because they need advertising.

Investors come only to those regions where sports are developing at the expense of budget money.

It's not like in football, where sponsors themselves ask to help a club or an individual player.

Although 2-3% of the football club's budget would be enough for us.