Culture Ministry and Estonian Olympic Committee dispute over distribution of €729,000

Culture Minister Heidi Purga has accused the former board of the Estonian Olympic Committee (EOC) of distributing nearly €729,000 in youth sports grants to 31 sports federations without submitting the names of beneficiaries. According to an EOC representative, the dispute will be resolved by the newly elected board.

Culture Minister Heidi Purga has sent a letter to the Estonian Olympic Committee (EOC) stating that the former board violated the procedures for distributing youth sports grants. At the heart of the dispute is €728,723, which was distributed to 31 sports federations without specifying the names of grant recipients.

What is the problem?

In November 2024, the Culture Ministry and the EOC, then led by Kersti Kaljulaid, signed an administrative agreement governing the distribution of sports funding from the state budget. According to the agreement, youth sports grants must be paid out monthly based on pre-approved lists of recipients.

The Ministry's analysis showed that the EOC's elite sports commission did not approve these lists either in autumn 2024 or in spring 2025. Instead, the EOC transferred funds directly to sports federations as grants for youth in national teams, without recording the names of specific beneficiaries. The funds have since been paid out.

Purga stressed that in the Ministry's view, such an approach does not comply with the applicable procedures. However, the minister is prepared to change the principles of grant distribution if necessary, provided that proposals are submitted before the funds are paid out. "We request that proposals for amending the regulation and its annex be submitted in a timely manner before the decision on grant allocation, so that the Culture Ministry has sufficient time to review them and, if necessary, amend the regulation," said Purga.

EOC: the new board will decide

EOC representative Kristo Tohver explained to ERR that 2026 grants have already been distributed to sports federations, and the ministry is aware of the situation. He added that the EOC board changed last week, and on 18 June, the organisation's former Athletics Federation chair Erich Teigamägi was elected as the new president.

According to Tohver, the new board will soon establish a new elite sports commission that will determine the principles for grant distribution in the future. The solution could involve modifying the current funding system as well as updating the ministry's regulation. "In any case, we will continue close cooperation with the ministry to find the best solutions together," said Tohver.

Kaljulaid's departure in the background

The position of EOC president became vacant on 27 April when Kersti Kaljulaid, who had led the organisation since October 2024, faced a vote of no confidence. The issue of grant distribution emerged during this change of leadership.