#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. For the fifth time, the Great Ice Hockey Festival of the Murmansk region was held in the city of Zapolyarny. The annual training camp from March 2 to 4 was attended by 80 pupils from the hockey sections of the city, as well as the villages of Nickel and Sputnik.
The festival was held the Russian national team’s ex-player Yevgeny Artyuhin, who won in the junior and youth world championships playing in the national team, and the coaches of the Red Machine.
The program included training on ice, physical training classes, theory, mini-tournaments, competitions with games. In a special tent, you could even play virtual hockey.
“Hockey stars and coaches come to us for the fifth time, and each time it’s new programs, new exercises, always an individual approach. For the guys, such visits are an additional incentive, for us, amateur coaches, it’s an invaluable experience. In recent years, two best pupils have moved to hockey schools in St. Petersburg”, said Alexander Stupnikov, coach of the Metallurg children’s hockey club from Nickel.
“Here, in Zapolyarny, there is great ice, dressing rooms, everything is well organized. It’s nice that there are many different questions – how to throw, how to push off correctly, how to slow down, how to open up best. In our time, there were no such meetings, but they are a great motivation”, said Evgeny Artyuhin, the star guest.
“The hockey festival has become a recognizable and long-awaited event. This is a great opportunity for children to realize themselves, see world-class stars, touch the history of Russian hockey. In 2017, Nornickel opened this court, where they organized a children’s section. Children are happy, parents are happy, and hockey is on the rise”, said Andrey Kuznetsov, head of the Pechenga administrative district.
“Hockey is a national game, and it is very important that any child, even in the Far North, has the opportunity not only to play, but also to realize himself in sports. I am sure that the new generation of talented players will grow in the regions.
The Nornickel and RIHF program for the development of hockey in the Arctic is a vivid example of this. It is this systematic approach of business to supporting sports that is becoming an important factor in the sustainable development of the territory and, of course, deserves the highest appreciation”, commented Pavel Bure, member of the International Ice Hockey Federation board, on the ice hockey festival results.
Recall that a partnership agreement between the Russian Ice Hockey Federation and Nornickel, aimed at developing and popularizing this sport in the country, was signed in December 2018. Nornickel is the general partner of the Red Machine National Ice Hockey Training Program.
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Text: Denis Kozhevnikov, Photo: Nornickel press service
