By Vestnik Kavkaza
Yesterday the State Duma adopted a presidential draft bill against illegal influence on results of sporting competitions in the second reading. The law would see those responsible for match-fixing jailed for up to seven years, as well as a ban on betting and working in sport.
The law says that sporting federations are obliged to ban persons who are suspected or accused of illegal influence on results of sporting competitions; in case of a guilty verdict, such people should be disqualified.
The sporting federations which don't fulfill the requirements will be withdrawn from the list of all-Russian and certificated regional sporting federations.
Simultaneously MPs of the lower chamber adopted amendments to the Federal Law on Physical Education and Sport in the RF in the third reading. People call the law – the law on fans. It requires more serious sanctions and fees for fans who will break the behavior rules in sporting events. They could be banned to attend matches, have to pay 25-thousand-ruble fee, or be arrested for 15 days.
According to Igor Ananskikh, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Education, Sport and Youth Affairs, “this law is on rights and responsibilities, but not only of fans, but also initiators of sporting events and owners of sporting facilities. This is a law of the 21st century. Unfortunately, we still live under laws of the 20th century, while the situation has changed. Interest in sport has grown, the number of sporting facilities has increased. The requirements demanded of sporting facilities have become higher. Fan organizations and common fans have changed as well. This law is necessary because it is a demand of time. Everybody understands that there will be no old life.”
It concerns not only fans, but also owners of sporting facilities. Ananskikh says that they “often do not invest in infrastructure of old facilities which were build in Soviet times. Now the law requires rights and responsibilities for owners. They are obliged to invest in infrastructure and make their sporting facility relevant to requirements which will be stated in the security rules in sporting facilities, which are being developed by the Ministry of Sport and the Interior Ministry. Of course, it is a step forward. The benefit of the law is that it includes both rights and responsibilities. Everybody understands that it excludes any self-activity by local authorities.”
