A day after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev went public with his love for badminton, a group of female supporters are set to stage a game in central Moscow in support of their idol.
Medvedev – perhaps unwittingly – attracted international and domestic media attention with a clip on his official blog about the sport, which he said “develops your physical form, eye coordination, accuracy and reactions.” The clip was designed to foster interest in the sport among Russian schoolchildren.
Medvedev has agreed not to stand for a second term to allow his mentor Vladimir Putin the chance to return to the Kremlin. Putin was also featured in the clip.
The Medvedev Girls, a fan group on Russia’s top social networking site, Vkontakte, will play badminton near the Kremlin walls. Despite the chilly October weather, six girls will play badminton with passersby.
The event has not been sanctioned by the authorities, but the girls hope that they will not have any problems with the police, as they “won’t bother anyone” and “are only going to play badminton”.
