By David Gold
May 4 – Alexei Sorokin, who was recently appointed the chief executive of the Local Organising Committee responsible for delivering the Russia 2018 World Cup, has been confirmed as a speaker for the Inside World Football Moscow Forum next month.
The Inside World Football Moscow Forum will take place at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Moscow from June 23 to 24, exploring the challenges Russia faces ahead of the World Cup and discussing the role specialists can play in providing expertise to the organisers of the tournament.
Sorokin, as the Russia 2018 bid’s public face, was crucial in bringing the tournament to Eastern Europe for the first time.
He is now the chief executive of the Local Organising Committee, responsible for the successful organisation and running of the 2018 tournament, a decision which was announced officially at the first meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Local Organising Committee for the World Cup.
The meeting was held last week by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, who is the First Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board, which is chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
At the meeting, the Organising Committee’s key objectives for the next year were discussed, and they covered the development of federal law in preparation for 2018 as well as detailing the specific structure and responsibilities of each host city’s local organising committees.
Vitaly Mutko, Russia’s Sports Minister and the chair of the Local Organising Committee, spoke of Russia’s pride at hosting the 2018 tournament as well as its potential legacy.
“The FIFA World Cup is the world’s most prestigious tournament,” he said.
“We are proud that Russia has won the right to host this truly global football festival.
“The FIFA World Cup will leave a lasting legacy far beyond sports, boosting infrastructure development in the country, promoting healthy lifestyles among youngsters and demonstrating a new Russia to the world community.”
Russia will face significant challenges to prepare itself for 2018.
Among the projects planned is the construction of a new high speed rail network which will connect all the main cities.
Another key issue discussed were the proposed new stadiums for the 2018 competition.
The Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow should host the 2018 final, Mutko confirmed, and the 2017 Confederations Cup will take place in four cities; Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and Sochi.
Sixteen venues are planned for the World Cup, including 13 potential new grounds in cities including Rostov, Saransk and St Petersburg, which could be cut to 12 when the final decision on which stadia will host games is made.
Sorokin is only too aware of the challenges Russia faces, but expressed confidence last week that they would rise to the challenge and believes the support from the Government to the Organising Committee will enable them to meet their goals.
“The first meeting of the Supervisory Board is undoubtedly a milestone,” he said.
“Key objectives for this year have been identified and areas for collaborations with regions and key federal ministries determined.
“I can tell that only very few World Cup Organizing Committees enjoyed a similar level of federal support in the past.”
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