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Who's bigger amongst Russians? Arshavin or Ovechkin?
Living in North America, and being an immense fan of both hockey and football, I often wonder who is bigger in Russia. Ovechkin is obviously the biggest star in Russian hockey, and arguably the biggest player in all of hockey. Hence, in Canadian media, Ovechkin is recognized as Russia's biggest athlete. However, football is a bigger sport worldwide, and Arshavin is Russia's biggest star in that sport, and he plays for a glamour club in Arsenal. Arshavin is probably recognized worldwide, whereas Ovechkin is only known in North America and nordic countries. Ovechkin is obviously a bigger star in his own sport, but Arshavin is a relative star in the biggest sport on the planet.
I wonder, who is bigger, Arshavin or Ovechkin, amongst Russian people, pop-culture and media?
I also wonder with Russia being awarded the World Cup in 2018, what impact will it have on Russian hockey? Will investment in hockey suffer as the football infrastructure gets built in coming years. Quite frankly, despite me being an ardent hockey fan, I recognize that hockey is limited in its appeal and that football is a far bigger, far more important game in the worldwide landscape.
I'd appreciate some insightful responses.
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