Russia plans regional sports medicine centres by 2031

Russia plans to establish sports medicine centres in every region by 2031 under a government-approved strategy, the Federal Medical-Biological Agency said on October 13.

The strategy runs to 2030 with a longer-term outlook to 2036. Its central goal is an integrated system involving different agencies, built around prevention, early identification of health risks and individual medical support.

By 2036, unified programmes of in-depth medical examinations are intended to cover at least 350,000 athletes exposed to exceptionally high physical loads. This is a target, rather than a count of examinations already completed.

Agency head Veronika Skvortsova said the changes should provide children with safe clearance for initial training and athletes with personalised medical support. She described common standards, trained specialists and access to advanced expertise as priorities for the regions. The announcement sets out planned developments and does not mean the regional centres are already operating.