Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia must again interest its youth in sports if it hopes to keep producing Olympic champions and to guarantee the health of its population.

Mr. Putin told the leaders of Russia's State Council that the country will not win Olympic victories if it does not get children and youth to take part in sports. The council meeting focused on the role of sport in the life of Russian citizens.

Mr. Putin said recent statistics show that only 10 percent of Russians regularly exercise. He said this is likely to have a devastating impact on the nation's overall health.

The Russian leader acknowledged that the government did not focus on sports for almost a decade. He stressed, however, that attracting children to sports must become a state priority.

He urged sports centers to offer reasonable prices and local governments to support free services whenever possible.

Despite Mr. Putin's warning, Russia is still a strong medal contender in the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

Russian Olympic officials predict their national team will win seven to ten gold medals, most likely in ski, figure skating, biathlon, and ice-hockey competitions.

Some information for this report provided by AP.

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