#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. The starship troopers included Alexander Yakushev, Alexey Kasatonov, Sergey Makarov, Valery Kamensky, Vladimir Myshkin, Alexey Gusarov, Sergey Shepelev, Alexander Mogilny, Vitaly Prohorov, Andrey Kovalenko, Vyacheslav Butsaev and other hockey players.
In Norilsk, the eminent sportsmen visited the Komsomolsky mine and talked to the fans. The rich program included a children’s tournament with the participation of young hockey players from Norilsk and Dudinka sports schools.
The famous hockey players arrival in Norilsk is not just a sports festival, but also a collection of voluntary donations for the development of children’s sports schools. Traditionally, the Nornickel company doubled the proceeds. In previous games, more than 11 million rubles were collected. But this year, the company has made the decision to triple the donations.
“We are always happy to come to Norilsk, where they sincerely love hockey, and our matches are of great interest. It’s nice that the Taimyr residents, working in such difficult climatic conditions, have every opportunity to go in for sports and be part of a huge hockey family – the Night Hockey League. Nornickel has come up with an excellent format in which a child can go on the ice himself and get a hockey lesson, and then see how his father plays. Such stories are very important for popularizing the game and developing hockey as a national sport”, said Alexey Kasatonov, two-time Olympic champion and the Night Hockey League CEO.
“Today is a special day: we are celebrating the first anniversary of charity hockey matches in Norilsk. This is always a bright event for Norilsk fans and all sports lovers. For Nornickel, the development of mass sports has always been and remains a priority. The company annually invests billions of rubles in this area, including the formation of a high-quality sports infrastructure, the development of children’s and youth sports, and the support of a healthy lifestyle for employees and residents of our regions.
Holding such matches is our contribution to the future healthy generation. On behalf of the company and on my own behalf, I would like to thank the Night Hockey League for organizing tournaments and maintaining the glorious hockey traditions of our country. And also to express great respect and recognition to the Legends of Hockey team – we are rivals on ice, but in life we have become good friends. I wish us all an exciting match, unforgettable impressions, success and new victories”, said Nikolay Utkin, Nornickel senior vice president, the Norilsk Division head, at the opening of the match.
The charity match ended with the score 11:9 in favor of the hockey masters. And before the match, the legendary hockey players talked to the Norilsk people and held an autograph session.
As a reminder, voluntary donations are being collected as part of a charity match with the players of the Night Hockey League and the Hockey Legends. Nornickel has tripled the amount raised this year. Representatives of sports schools in Norilsk and Dudinka were awarded two certificates worth 2.5 million rubles each.
The funds will be used to purchase sports equipment, simulators, as well as to pay for the costs of their participation in hockey competitions.
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Text: Denis Kozhevnikov, Photo: Nikolay Shchipko
