More than 156B rubles ($2.4B) has been "set aside by the Russian Government" for the 2018 World Cup, officials have announced, according to Daniel Etchells of INSIDE THE GAMES. Svetlana Gashkina, the head of the Finance Ministry Department for Fiscal Policy in the Social Sphere and Science, "revealed the figure which forms part of the draft federal budget" for the period from '17-19. She said, "On the whole, we have 156.4 billion rubles over the three years on the world football championship." Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, who was promoted last month to deputy PM, is "overseeing preparations for the tournament as the head of the Russia 2018 Organising Committee and has asserted that the country will host the World Cup to the highest possible standard." Mutko will be replaced by Pavel Kolobkov as sports minister. Russia’s preparations "will be put closer under the microscope" when the country hosts next year’s Confederations Cup -- an eight-team tournament comprised of the host nation, the current World Cup holders plus the six continental champions (INSIDE THE GAMES, 11/3).
