Over the next five years, the number of athletes representing Latvia in high-level competitions should be increased, such a commitment is expressed in the recently approved Sports Policy Guidelines by 2027.
In 2019, 6654 Latvian athletes were registered, who participated in the European and world championships for adults and competitions equivalent to them, but by 2027 it is planned to increase the number of Latvian representatives to approximately 7150.
The number of Latvian Paralympics in the Summer Paralympic Games has been doubled, but in the Winter Paralympic Games at least it has remained unchanged.
One of the aims of the Sports Guidelines is to promote high performance in sport and to ensure that high-level athletes and national teams can prepare for and compete in the Olympic Games, World and European Championships and world-class mental sports.
Among the goals of sports policy is the commitment to improve Latvia’s place in the overall ranking of medals at the Olympic Games.
It is planned to increase the number of state-funded vocational sports education institutions from 89 to 100 institutions, moreover, the aim is to increase the number of students in vocational sports education institutions acquiring vocational sports education programs.
In the document, the state has undertaken to provide co-financing for the remuneration of coaches for the implementation of vocational sports education programs, at the same time improving the procedure and criteria for allocating grants, as well as increasing the quality and efficiency of vocational sports education programs.
Priority will be given to financially supporting the preparation and participation of talented young and adult athletes and national teams in the Olympic Games, World and European Championships and other similar sporting events, as well as the preparation of young and adult athletes with disabilities for the Paralympic Games, European and World Championships and at other comparable sporting events.
Among the objectives of sport policy is to ensure a sufficient number of doping controls by involving sports federations in requesting doping controls, and to promote anti-doping education in sport.
