Kolobkov wins despite sanctions: Russia returns to FIDE leadership
Pavel Kolobkov was elected Vice President of FIDE at the General Assembly in Samarkand. He won 78 votes, becoming one of the seven deputies of the new President Timur Turlov. The candidacy was put forward by the federations of Belarus, Cuba and Tajikistan, despite the lack of voting rights of the Russian Federation and attempts to challenge the elections. Kolobkov regarded the result as recognition of Russia’s role in world chess and expressed readiness for cooperation.
Pavel Kolobkov was elected Vice-President of the International Chess Federation.
Former Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation Pavel Kolobkov was elected as Vice President of the International Chess Federation. The decision was made during the General Assembly of the organization, which takes place in the Uzbek Samarkand. The new president of FIDE was the representative of Kazakhstan Timur Turlov.
According to the results of the vote, the 57-year-old Russian functionary received 78 votes of delegates, which allowed him to enter the list of seven vice-presidents of the federation. Kolobkov’s candidacy was nominated by the chess federations of Belarus, Cuba and Tajikistan and was approved by the FIDE election commission. It is noteworthy that Russia itself in the last elections was deprived of the right to vote. Attempts by the Ukrainian Chess Federation, as well as Kolobkov’s rivals George Mastrokukos and David Liada, to challenge the nomination of the Russian candidate were unsuccessful, as FIDE rejected the relevant complaint.
Pavel Kolobkov is well known not only as a sports official, but also as an outstanding athlete. From October 2016 to January 2020, he headed the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation. In the past, Kolobkov was a professional swordsman. He won a gold medal of the 2000 Olympic Games, two silver and three bronze Olympic awards. He is also a six-time world champion and two-time European champion.
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Commenting on his election to TASS, Pavel Kolobkov noted that he regards the result not as personal support, but as recognition of Russia’s status as a great chess power. In his opinion, the international community missed Russian chess players, and the world federation does not represent the further development of this sport without the participation of the Russian Federation. He called the vote an objective assessment of Russia’s long-term contribution to world chess. The new stage of his career is associated with the implementation of many new ideas and readiness for fruitful cooperation with representatives of various countries, who have already expressed sincere congratulations and hope for joint work.
