Over a thousand young athletes aged 16 to 25 from 43 regions of Russia participated in competitions in competitive programming, drone racing, and phygital shooting. Elena Skarzhinskaya, Deputy Director for Scientific and Methodological Support at the Digital Sports Center in the Surgut District, spoke with RuNews24.ru about the event and its importance.
The SMC's "Esports Department" venue became one of the festival's focal points, and the Heritage of the Era Foundation acted as its partner.
"The event was more than just a sporting event—it clearly demonstrated how digital technologies combine with physical training and engineering skills to create new disciplines and educational pathways. Such initiatives are crucial for Russia's technological sovereignty and leadership," emphasizes Elena Skarzhinskaya.
The international "Future Games" held in Kazan gave impetus to the development of digital and phygital disciplines in Russia. It was there that a new competitive logic was demonstrated, where gameplay, algorithmic thinking, and physical endurance are combined into a single sporting practice. The "Pobeda" festival is the next step in this process: it translates innovative formats into mass and educational formats, expands the talent pool, and consolidates infrastructure solutions at the regional level.
The expert explained: "One of the key scientific and methodological challenges today is correct terminology and a hierarchy of concepts. Focus:
- Digital sports are disciplines in which the key competitive element is interaction in a digital environment (the playing field being a software or virtual circuit).
- Technological sports are a broader category, encompassing all disciplines where competitions necessarily involve the use of a digital service or a "digital-physical" connection. An example is drone racing: control and telemetry rely on digital services, and the results are recorded in real space.
"Phygital" is a mixed format where digital and physical components are equivalent and integrated."
This hierarchy is necessary for the development of educational programs, classifiers, and regulatory frameworks, as well as for the proper training of specialists—from coaches to judges and methodologists.
SMC's "Esports Department" platform: next-generation practices
The SMC exhibit was built around practice-oriented solutions:
- The domestically produced "AEROSIM" UAV control simulator—a tool for safe and rapid pilot training, integrating programming, mechatronics, and piloting skills.
- VR headsets and a virtual shooting range—simulators for phygital shooting, allowing for the development of precision, reaction time, and tactical thinking with a high degree of realism.
Support from the Heritage of the Era Foundation ensured the technical level of the venue and enabled the inclusion of projects focused on the long-term development of the industry in the event program.
Competitive Programming as a Core Discipline
"Competitive programming occupied a special place on the festival agenda. It is a sport that develops applied competencies—from algorithmic culture and cybersecurity to engineering thinking. For the country, this is the human resource foundation for technological independence: graduates of such programs are capable of designing digital services, controlled systems, and complex simulators, without which sustainable leadership in new industries is impossible," said Elena Skarzhinskaya.
Regional Centers and International Synchronization
The Ramensky Municipal District is considering opening a phygital center—a step toward developing sustainable infrastructure. At the same time, international initiatives and experience exchanges launched by the Games of the Future are helping to establish unified standards and expand the network of partnerships. It is fundamentally important that Russian methods and developments are not isolated from the global context, but rather contribute to shaping the global agenda.
According to Elena Skarzhinskaya, the industry faces several key challenges:
- Recognition and regulatory framework: inclusion of digital and phygital disciplines in official registries, standardization of rules and judging.
- Education and personnel: development of professional standards, training programs for coaches, methodologists, referees, and engineers.
- Infrastructure: creation of specialized centers, laboratories, certified venues, and training complexes.
- Integration with traditional sports: retraining methods and joint competition formats.
- Government-business partnership: sustainable financing, acceleration of domestic technologies, and R&D support.
Systematic educational efforts are a practical step toward addressing these challenges. The book "Digital Sports: Expectations, Reality, and Prospects," co-authored by Elena Skarzhinskaya, bridges this methodological gap: it provides a comprehensive picture of the disciplines and their positioning for students, coaches, organizers, and sponsors.
Management Priorities
For sports managers today, it's critical to:
- Don't delay digital transformation, develop your own expertise, and be present at key events.
- Monitor scientific and technological trends, promptly adapting regional programs.
- View digital sports as a strategic state project, not an optional activity.
The All-Russian "Pobeda" Festival demonstrated that digital and phygital disciplines are moving from the status of a "promising field" to a real sports and educational ecosystem. Thanks to platforms like the "Esports Department" SMC, support from the "Heritage of the Epoch" Foundation, and the methodological work of researchers like Elena Skarzhinskaya, a new industry is emerging—with its own standards, infrastructure, and personnel.
If we maintain the current momentum—by strengthening the regulatory framework, developing regional centers, and scaling up best practices—Russia has a unique opportunity to become a global leader in digital sports. The only question is how consistently and quickly we can transform these early successes into a sustainable system.