The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Sports Games will serve as a platform for showcasing projects in the field of Paralympic and Deaflympic sport.
“The integration of inclusive formats will be one of the defining features of this year’s sports programme. Expanding access to sport for people with health limitations is among the state’s priorities in this sphere. The theme of adaptive sport will be widely represented at the Forum: from sporting events to the exhibition programme,” said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee.
The Second Wind nomination for support of adaptive sport has been included in the Champion sports and business award. On 3 June, the Roscongress Foundation’s sports platform will hold a solemn ceremony in the Michele space. Sporting legends will present awards to the leaders of leading companies for their contribution to the development of the sports industry.
Basketball legend and Russian Basketball Federation President Andrei Kirilenko, VTB United League President Sergei Kushchenko, and NBA champion Timofey Mozgov will play alongside SPIEF participants in the traditional Roscongress Cup gala match on 5 June. One of this year’s new additions will be a wheelchair basketball match taking place during the half-time interval as part of the “Silent! Basketball” project. “Basketball knows how to bring together the most diverse people and this match is a wonderful testament to that. It is great that SPIEF is giving this sport a major platform: when inclusive projects become part of the agenda of the country’s largest Forum, that is a positive impulse for all of Russia,” said Russian Basketball Federation President Andrei Kirilenko. The match is co-organized by the Roscongress Foundation’s sports platform and the ANO Central Sports Council of the Civil Service, with the participation of the Russian Basketball Federation and the VTB United League.
For the first time, the main Forum venue will feature a stand of the All-Russian Sports Federation of the Deaf. SPIEF participants will be able to take a sign language lesson, test their coordination wearing special noise-cancelling headphones, and learn about the heroes of Deaflympic sport. It is worth noting that last year 36 Russian athletes won 29 gold, 8 silver, and 3 bronze medals at the Deaflympic Games in Tokyo.
The para-cycling team Armada, led by three-time world champion Alexei Obydyonnov, took part in the multi-stage Ladoga Gold race, which opened the SPIEF 2026 Sports Games programme. The para-athletes covered approximately 170 km over four days. “I took part in a multi-stage race with gravel sections and cobblestones for the first time. It was just like the famous international races: it was cold, it rained constantly, it was a real test. I managed to ride at personal best level. Participating in such a significant event is an important milestone for the development of Paralympic cycling. My enormous thanks to Roscongress for this opportunity,” said Alexei Obydyonnov.
The adaptive track was integrated into the Ladoga Gold multi-stage race for the first time: one of the season’s principal events for the country’s leading riders and strongest amateur clubs. The race is organized by the Roscongress Foundation and the Russian Cycling Federation with the support of the Ministry of Sport.
The full sports and entertainment programme is available on the official Forum website. All news about SPIEF sporting events: t.me/Sport_Roscongress
Source: SPIEF
