Lazdiņš: Sports Fund needed to restore meaningful development in sports

After the adoption of the new Sports Law, the Saeima also supported in the first reading the bill on the establishment of the State Sports Fund. The President of the Latvian Olympic Committee, Raimonds Lazdiņš, told Jauns.lv that the fund will be a specialized instrument for financing the sports sector, which has been chaotic and criticized for many years.

Lazdiņš recalls that until 2001, sports and culture were financed jointly, but afterwards the sports financing system changed several times. Currently, federations receive money directly from the Ministry of Education and Science based on criteria, while culture has had the State Culture Capital Fund since 2004, with a budget of €17.8 million in 2025. "Overall, the meaningful development of sports from a financial perspective has been destroyed," emphasizes the LOK president.

Sports funding has not increased since 2016, excluding inflation. Lazdiņš notes that out of approximately €50 million, €32 million goes to sports schools and salaries. He criticizes the previous donation policy and calls for an end to the practice of funding sports projects from the state budget for unforeseen events, calling it absurd.

The Sports Fund aims to improve the coordination and result-orientation of the financing system. Priorities will be children's and youth sports, grassroots sports, high-performance sports, infrastructure, and capacity building of sports organizations. Lazdiņš emphasizes that the fund seeks to achieve certainty and predictability.

The fund plans to consolidate all sports financing, including from the Ministry of Economics' Grand Events program. This would allow for the planned organization of international events, such as the 2030 World Hockey Championship, the 2031 European Youth Festival, and potential European championships in judo and athletics.

Funding for the fund would come from the state budget, EU funds, donations, as well as increased taxes on soft drinks, tobacco, and gambling. Lazdiņš estimates that the soft drink tax alone could bring half of the planned additional €15 million per year.

The fund will start operating on January 1 next year if the law is passed in the final reading by the end of July. It will be governed by a council with representatives from ministries, municipalities, and sports organizations. Lazdiņš emphasizes that this is a moment when the Saeima can make decisions that will serve for decades.