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Press-Release No. 1
on 19th of March, 2007. Russian Sport Poker Federation
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On 16th of March, 2007, special committee of Federal Agency on Physical Culture and Sports made a decision to recognize poker as a sport. Long-expected event for all fans of intellectual games happened: poker tournaments got status as official sporting events.
After the ending of registration the register of Russian sports will be enlarged with one new sporting discipline.
Poker is the most popular card game in the world that unites millions of fans. Poker contests attract huge interest – the participants’ interest as well as audiences’ one. Television programs, which show poker tournaments, compete in popularity with such events as, for example, the Final of the Stanly Cup. The interest in such competitions rises from year to year in Russia.
Poker stereotype, as a game of impenetrable-faced cowboys keeping their fingers on the trigger, had been forgotten long ago. Modern poker is a game that requires one’s mastery, self-control, analytical attitude of mind, and of course training.
Dmitry Lesnoj, the president of Russian Sport Poker Federation, made a report on Rossport Board. He told to meeting participants about poker history and about those competitions which take place in Russia more than one year. “It is extremely pleasant that against the general background of persecution to the gambling by officials the state showed wisdom and agreed to the fact that poker doesn’t belong to gambling and falls under definition of sports”, - Dmitry Lesnoj commented decision of the board.
The constitutive conference of All-Russian social organization of Sport Poker Federation took place on 18th of November, 2006. Representatives of 50 Russian regions gathered in one of capital clubs. More than 200 people arrived for Conference to keep up the future of intellectual games in Russia.
Discussions, exchange of views and voting have been lasting for several hours. As a result Regulations of Russian Sport Poker Federation were accepted.
As the president of the new social organization Dmitry Lesnoj, a writer, the author of Gaming House encyclopedia, the publisher of Casino Games magazine, an acknowledged guru in the field of intellectual games, was elected unanimously.
Also Vladimir Ivanchenko was elected unanimously as the honorable president.
The tasks of Federation are propaganda and popularization of poker, establishment of high ethic and sport regulations and standards, organization of poker tournaments based on sport principle, maintaining of players’ rating, organization of poker schools, young dolts support, search for sponsors and others.
Recognizing of poker as sports on the state level became one of the tasks of Federation. And now it has been achieved.
Gennady Hvorih, the vice-president on PR. Russian Sport Poker Federation.