5.6. Development of Sports Programs

Healthy younger generation is the cornerstone of Russia’s future prosperity. Gazprom pays special attention to projects for children and youth. The Gazprom for Children program has been underway in the regions of Russia for as long as 12 years. The purpose of the program is to create the conditions required for a well-balanced intellectual and physical development and spiritual growth of children and teenagers and to engage as many of them as possible in the sports activities.

Since 2007, 1,821 facilities of different types were built in Russia under the Gazprom for Children program. In 2019, the construction of 164 sports facilities was completed, including 10 sports and fitness complexes and 154 outdoor flatworks. In the reporting period, construction and installation works were underway at 37 capital construction projects. The program covered 34 localities in 21 regions of the Russian Federation.

The largest and the most socially important projects commissioned in 2019 included the Avangard Ice Hockey Academy in Omsk, as well as two sports and fitness complexes with swimming pools in the Khabarovsk Territory and one in Voronezh.

The program’s goals for the foreseeable future remain unchanged: to set up sports and fitness infrastructure in Russia and to create the conditions for a healthy lifestyle.

Football for Friendship (F4F) is an international children’s social program implemented by PJSC Gazprom since 2013 with the aim of supporting children’s and junior sports, promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, as well as fostering an attitude of respect toward other cultures among the young generation.

The program participants are young football players and young reporters from various countries. They are girls and boys aged 12-16, including those with disabilities.

2019 saw the seventh season of the program. The final events were held in Madrid from May 20 through June 2 as part of the official program of UEFA Champions League Final. More than 800 children and adults representing Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas participated in the activities. The key events of the season’s finals were covered by more than 150 reporters from international and national media.

Over the seven seasons, more than 6,000 children from 211 countries and regions participated in Football for Friendship and more than 5 million people took part in sports, educational, and environmental activities of the program worldwide. The program is supported by FIFA and UEFA, Olympic and Paralympic Committees, football federations, children’s foundations, hundreds of well-known athletes, and thousands of journalists around the globe. The project has received more than 45 international and national awards in social responsibility, sports, and communications.

In June 2019, the International Football for Friendship Coaches Academy was launched. It is a free-of-charge online learning course offering practical sessions aimed at improving the skills of coaches teaching youth teams, sports groups and P.E. classes. The training course is available in 10 languages: Russian, English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, and Hindi. By the end of 2019, more than 4,000 people completed the Academy’s course.

The social impact of the Football for Friendship international children’s social program implemented by PJSC Gazprom is fully seen in its absolute availability to all people, irrespective of their physical abilities or physical fitness. Starting from the very first season, disabled children have been taking part in Football for Friendship. The accessible environment, which is an integral part of the program, enables children with disabilities to participate in the events in full parity with others; and so not only do they play sports, but also socialize, communicate and make friends with peers. The Football for Friendship World Championship format provides for mixed teams consisting of participants of different genders and with different physical abilities.