Komi's youth sports boom sees 19,200 athletes training across 43 disciplines
Komirepublic's Ministry of Sports Names Most Popular Youth Sports Disciplines
The Republic of Komi's Ministry of Sports has revealed the most sought-after sports among young athletes in the region, based on enrollment in local training programs.
The data was presented by Svetlana Suvorkina, the republic's Minister of Physical Culture and Sports, during a government meeting in Komi.
According to the ministry, cross-country skiing remains the undisputed leader, with 2,474 participants. The top five also includes swimming (2,267), football (2,199), basketball (1,513), and volleyball (1,324).
Rounding out the top ten most widely practiced sports are wrestling, boxing, judo, sambo, and hockey.
The region is also seeing a steady rise in athletic achievement. In 2025 alone, Komi athletes earned 1,245 sports classifications and titles—a 145 increase over the previous year. Fifty-one athletes were awarded the title of Master of Sport of Russia, while 381 became Candidates for Master of Sport and 813 achieved first-class rankings.
Cross-country skiing, cheerleading (cheer sport), and swimming led in the number of new titles and classifications awarded.
Additionally, over 5,000 athletes from Komi have been selected for regional teams, with 3,732 of them being children.
"This progress reflects the systematic development of sports in the republic," Suvorkina commented. "Our coaches are successfully identifying and nurturing talented young athletes, guiding them from grassroots training to regional team levels."
Currently, the republic's athletic reserve is being trained across 44 sports institutions, where 591 coaches work with 19,200 athletes in 43 different disciplines.
The promotion of both mass participation and high-performance sports aligns with the objectives of Russia's state program Sport of Russia, initiated under a directive from President Vladimir Putin.
