The finalists and the winner of the popular vote of the "You're in the Game" contest have been announced

The Expert Council of the All-Russian sports Project competition "You're in the game" summed up the results of the semi-finals and determined the finalists of the VI season. They were 34 projects from 23 regions of Russia. The popular vote was also completed, the winner of which was the project "Good Football" from the village of Lovozero, Murmansk region. The finalists of the competition will receive a new educational program and a fight for the prize fund.

The semi-finals of the "You're in the Game" sports project competition have been completed. The Expert Council, which included Olympic champions, leaders of the sports industry, statesmen and recognized experts in the field of sports project management, identified the list of finalists. All 34 projects were strictly selected: first among the 6,133 applications submitted to the competition this year, and then from among the 250 semi—finalists admitted to the educational accelerator. Now the finalists of the VI season have reached the finish line of the competition.

"The You're In the Game contest has long become not just a competition of projects dedicated to sports and a healthy lifestyle, but a real engine of mass sports in the country. The finalists we see today are a living example of how one idea can captivate thousands of people. It is important that the authors of the projects receive real support during the competition — educational, informational, financial. I am sure that the experience gained during the competition, as well as new contacts and knowledge, will help the finalists to further develop sports in their regions and beyond," said Svetlana Zhurova, Olympic champion, multiple champion of the USSR, Russia and the world, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, expert of the competition.

All the projects that have reached the finals are already changing the lives of Russians, making sports more accessible, easier, and more interesting. Their authors offer a variety of formats: from yard sections and inclusive training sessions to digital platforms and unique sporting events.

The competition once again showed how different sports can sound in terms of various topics — ecology, technology, inclusion, tourism, family, corporate culture, and the media space.

For example, within the framework of the Clean Games project from the Leningrad Region, cleaning territories turns into an exciting team sport with referees and ratings, and the initiative "Fifth Night 3x3 Basketball Tournament" from the Ulyanovsk region is designed to make street basketball a vibrant urban event for young people and working citizens.

Projects that open up sports to new audiences have taken a prominent place in the list. For example, Open Sky (Republic of Crimea) is involving children and teenagers in drone racing and technical creativity, and St. Petersburg-based VsemBeg is creating a digital voice coach for blind athletes in Russia. The Donetsk AFRICA 2X2 project develops all—season transport for difficult off-road conditions, the Moscow Springle promotes ultimate frisbee in a corporate environment, the Morshansky Sokol from the Tambov Region promotes sports tourism in the region, and the Hockey Dad from the Orel region rediscovers the possibilities of children's hockey through media, music and family support.

"The You're in the Game contest is a great opportunity for initiators of sports projects across Russia to express themselves and bring their ideas to a qualitatively new level of implementation. It is clear that truly enthusiastic people are working on projects, who not only come up with new non-standard solutions, but are also ready to invest their time, energy and character in the development of sports every day. It's worth a lot, and such people definitely need to be supported, both within the framework of the competition and locally. After all, it is precisely such competitive initiatives, proposed by the residents themselves, that become one of the most effective tools for involving children, youth, entire families, residents of megacities, small towns and rural areas in sports," said Dmitry Kabaylo, Minister of Sports of the Nizhny Novgorod region, expert of the competition.

In parallel, the popular vote, which took place on the tyvigre website, ended.Russia from April 23 to April 30. The winner of the audience's choice was the project "Good Football" from the village of Lovozero, Murmansk region, presented in the "Starting Point" nomination. Its author, coach Janis Shebut, has been developing children's sports in a Sami village in the Arctic Circle for more than 15 years, where more than a hundred children play football today. The initiative is based on a unique motivation system: for success in sports, studies and volunteering, participants receive points and exchange them for prizes, mastering the principles of responsibility and mutual assistance. At the same time, training is inextricably linked with charity events: the team shares equipment with boarding schools and supports military personnel. Despite the harsh northern conditions, the initiative forms a stable sports community and contributes to the development of youth football in Russia, demonstrating the potential of small territories. The project will receive a special prize from the publication "Sport Business Consulting" (SBK) — the publication of material about its initiative on the website and in the printed version of the magazine.

Now all finalists are waiting for a new educational program, which will end with the protection of their own projects. The winners in each of the nominations and the Grand Prix winner will be announced in early June.

The competition will conclude with an award ceremony, where the winners in five main and three partner nominations will be announced, as well as the winner of the main prize of 1 million rubles. For the finalists, this will be the beginning of a long journey to new heights, new partners and new opportunities.