News

One more hockey season that brought many happy and memorable moments to Almetyevsk fans came to the end. The culmination of it was official debriefing at Neftche Culture Palace on performance of the teams of Sports School for Children and Youth in the Russian Championship.

Rinat Shafigullin, President of Neftyanik Almetyevsk Hockey Club, Deputy Director General of Tatneft PJSC, was the first to welcome the audience hall packed to the rafters with young men and their parents. He noted successful performance of the hockey school, congratulated the guests with the end of the season. Then a touching scene took place – Rinat Ildusovich gave keys from the corporate apartments to young coaches of Sports School for Children and Youth Anton Kavere, Aleksandr Loginov, Marat Nurmeev and to Iuliia Rakhmatullina, coach of the Skating Department.

Welcome speech was also given by: Dmitrii Bakaldin, Head of the Physical Training, Sport and Tourism Department, Vladimir Pashkin, Chair of the Junior Committee of Povolzhie Interregional Center of the Russian Hockey Federation, Elena Iashina, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Sports Advisor of Director General of Tatneft PJSC, Mansur Usmanov, Executive Manager of Neftyanik Hockey Club, Vladislav Babanov, Principal of the Sports School for Children and Youth, Rishat Gimaev, Sports Director, Elmira Lebedeva, Deputy Principal of the Sports School for Children and Youth.

Then they and other honourable guests: Rafik Iagubov, General Manager of Ak Bars Hockey Club, Eduard Dmitriev, Senior Coach of Sputnik, trainees of Almetyevsk Hockey School, Umed Gilmanov and Lenar Mansurov prize winners of the Supreme Hockey League awarded honoured medals to teams that became prize winners in the Russian Championship. This year their number was especially big. Three teams at once won golden medals (Neftyanik – JHL, Neftyanik-2002, Neftyanik-2007). Four more age groups took the second place (Neftyanik-2003, Neftyanik-2004, Neftyanik-2005). Such results allowed the Russian Hockey Federation to recognize Almetyevsk Sports School for Children and Youth to be the best in the Volga Federal District.

It should be admitted that all of the speakers pointed out the historical moment, that was completion of construction of Neftyanik, a cutting-edge Hockey Training Centre that was constructed at the initiative and at the expense of Tatneft Company. This allowed to create luxurious facility in our city, one of the best in the country, for training young hockey players. Appearance of it opens new horizons and opportunities for the Sports School for Children and Youth. Every speaker expressed his gratitude to Nail Maganov, Director General of Tatneft PJSC.

The other exciting part of the celebration was honouring of this year graduates. Rinat Shafigullin, President of the Club, awarded certificates and books to all of them to remember about the years spent in the Sports School for Children and Youth.

The celebration was traditionally ended with a junior hockey player initiation ceremony of the boys born in 2008. All of them took an oath of loyalty to their club. The relevant certificates were awarded to all of them.

Now the boys should rest up to muster strength for new victories in a new season!