The journalist asked to comment on the statements of some athletes that among the reasons for changing sports citizenship are not only war and security conditions, but also “lack of support from the state and conflicts at the federation level.”
Before this, the conversation was, in particular, about the former member of the Ukrainian artistic gymnastics team Ilya Kovtun, who in 2024 became a silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, and in 2025 officially changed his citizenship to Croatian.
“The lack of state support is an absolute speculation. Because athletes of such a level as Ilya Kovtun are fully provided with opportunities for training, to focus specifically on sports activities,” said Bedny.
The minister agreed that “this is not the level of income of professional athletes, but nowhere in the world do athletes in Olympic sports receive such remuneration as, perhaps, in professional sports – big-time boxing or football, where contracts amount to hundreds, millions, there is no such thing.”
“But every member of at least an elite group, which, of course, were both Ilya Kovtun and [чемпионка Европы и вице-чемпионка мира по прыжкам в воду] Sofia Lyskun, [которая сменила гражданство на российское]. This is only an excuse and it is absolutely not true – the state fully provides our athletes today, fully provides all the conditions,” Bedny explained.
He emphasized that members of the national team “have contracts under which they receive wages.”
“I won’t talk about the amount. This is a pretty good salary. Also, an elite group athlete is constantly at an educational and training meeting, where he is provided with housing, food, necessary expenses, equipment and all the necessary conditions for effective training,” Bedny emphasized.
According to him, leading Ukrainian athletes also have contracts with Olympic training centers or schools of higher sports excellence.
“This is additional income. That is, in fact, an athlete at the level of the Olympic team is quite well off today. More than, I believe, the average citizen of Ukraine. At least for the sake of focusing on sports training, it is quite enough,” the minister believes.
He emphasized that an athlete should not waste time and resources “on some luxury items and vacations on yachts and luxury resorts.”
“In order to train, to give results to yourself, to the country, to build your future, a good name, which will then work on you, it seems to me that this is quite enough,” said Bedny.
