Russia's Top I.O.C. Man Supports Rukhledev

From: VOG President, Russia - Dec 24, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

December 24, 2004

RUSSIA'S TOP I.O.C. MAN SUPPORTS RUKHLEDEV

Moscow, Russia - The Number One Deaf Man of Russia, Mr. Valery Rukhledev is having a very extraordinary life these times.

The final month of this outgoing year of 2004 has been a momentous one for Mr. Rukhledev, the front-runner candidate for the position of the CISS/International Deaflympic Committee President.

On December 8, Mr. Rukhledev was unanimously elected as the President of the Russian Deaflympic Committee, known by its acronym of RDSC.

On December 14, the Russian Federation Academy on Issues of Security, Defense, Law and Order awarded Mr. Rukhledev its highest academic degree called Diploma of a Candidate of Philosophical Science.

Two days later, on December 16, the government of the city of Moscow at a special ceremony awarded Mr. Rukhledev its very prestigious 'Rebirth of Russia' Medal for his 'outstanding and exemplary leadership.'

Previously, such a medal was awarded only to the top governmental officials like Mr. Vladimir Putin, the President of Russian Federation, Mr. Yuri Luzhkov, the Moscow Mayor, and few others.

Today Mr. Rukhledev received a huge moral boost, support and encouragement from his own country's distinguished and much admired senior sports and Olympic executive - Mr. Vitaly Smirnov, who, as the First Vice-President of the I.O.C. ( second-in-command after Dr. Jacques Rogge, the I.O.C. President from Belgium ) is currently the I.O.C. Executive Board's longest-serving and highly-influential official.

In his today's one-page letter to Mr. Rukhledev, Mr. Smirnov, in his capacity as the Honorary President of the Russian Olympic Committee and by utilizing the official letterhead of the Russian Olympic Committee, among the other things, stated as follows,

"I know Valery Rukhledev for many years as an outstanding person. Mr. Rukhledev has the title of a World Champion, Champion of Russia and the Games for the Deaf. During his presidency in the Committee for the deaf athletes and Society of the Deaf in Russia he has held numerous events as on the Russian so as on the international area. An economic system for the Society of the Deaf which has its own industry in many regions of Russia was created thanks to his active participation."

Mr. Smirnov, who has since 1974, along with his long time-friend and colleague Senor Juan Antonio Samaranch, the now-Honorary President of the I.O.C., built the I.O.C. as the world?s most financially and organizationally powerful international sports agency, in his letter to Mr. Rukhledev, concluded,

"I am confident that my colleague and friend Mr. Rukhledev deserves the post of the President."

As the President of the Russian Deaflympic Committee, Mr. Rukhledev will be heading the 180-member Russian delegation to the jubilee 20th Deaflympic Summer Games to be opened in Melbourne, Australia, on January 5, 2005. A day earlier, that is on January 4, the widely-anticipated and watched elections for the office of CISS/International Deaflympic Committee President will also be held at Melbourne.

(webmaster's note: "VOG" equal to Russia's "NAD")