Over 800 Children Took Part in Winter Fest, a Series of Winter Sports Festivals
5 april 2021
On March 19 and 20 Honored Masters of Sport of Russia Ilya Averbukh and Vladimir Antipov paid a visit to the Winter Fest winter sports festival in Noyabrsk. Olympic champion Maxim Marinin and Ildar Mukhometov, Master of Sport, International Class, showcased their skills for Nizhnevartovsk’s residents on March 27 and 28.
The festival in Noyabrsk was inaugurated by Alexei Romanov, the city’s head, and Oleg Malyshev, Director of Vyngapurovsky Gas Processing Plant, a branch of SiburTyumenGaz.
In all communities where SIBUR has operations it has been systematically investing in promoting and advocating sports and a healthy lifestyle, commented Oleg Malyshev, director of the Vyngapurovsky Gas Processing Plant. Winter sports are popular in the northern cities of SIBUR's presence, and that is why the Winter Fest usually draws a large audience. The festival provides aspiring young athletes with an opportunity to make their dreams come true and to take to the skating rink together with legendary athletes.
Honored Master of Sport Ilya Averbukh said that he was happy to be a part of such gatherings, believing this is a win-win for everybody.
For many budding skaters, these master classes will be etched in their memories forever, while for some kids they will serve as a strong motivator. Perhaps in future these athletes will make our country proud with their great victories, he said.
In total, the Avangard Ice Palace hosted eight master classes. At four of these, Ilya Averbukh shared his secrets of figure skating, while Vladimir Antipov used the remaining sessions to provide useful lessons on playing the game of ice hockey. The attending athletes, coaches and children aged 5 to 16 tried their skills at skating and playing on the rink, while some of the kids even got to practice the champions’ secret techniques.
We tried to make sure that every attendee got a bit of our attention. We had time to practice some basic maneuvers, to do a bit of playing and work up some sweat. With the group of younger players, we worked on some of their elementary skills, including a high-speed warm-up routine and learning proper skating techniques. With the more senior players, we worked on developing more complex, multifaceted techniques, did some strength exercises, and played ice hockey at elevated speeds. The key thing is that I saw that they have the passion and desire to learn and play, and even if something does not work out, it can always be improved upon with more practice, said Vladimir Antipov.
I got a unique chance to train with Vladimir Antipov. Even in a short span of time he is able to correct one’s skating technique, or you can work with him to perfect your tactics. In addition, such an encounter is very motivating, and the photos one would get will be a reminder of his master class, shared Denis Pavlyukh, a Noyabrsk hockey player.
The festival in Nizhnevartovsk was officially opened by Maxim Marinin, a renowned athlete, Vyacheslav Zolov, advisor to the CEO and chairman of the grassroot-level trade union organization at JSC SiburTyumenGaz, and by Vasily Tikhonov, the head of the city’s administration.
I would like to believe that thanks to this festival that SIBUR has organized Nizhnevartovsk will be known not only as the capital of Samotlor, but also as the capital of winter game sports, noted Vyacheslav Zolov, a SIBUR representative. Champions’ master classes motivate people to lead an active life and they drive young athletes toward reaching new heights.
Nizhnevartovsk is renowned for its many great athletes. Thanks to the winter sports festival, that was organized by SIBUR, their numbers will keep growing even further, said Vasily Tikhonov. Encounters with Olympic champions and sports professionals always provide children with a strong impetus for continuing their development while encouraging them to strive for new heights. We are always open for cooperation and are ready to assist in putting together such master classes going forward.
The festival’s organizers noted that the Indoor ice hockey court had been completely transformed compared to what it was like in 2016: it is in a much better state maintenance-wise and well-lit . They also expressed their wish for the city's sports scene to continue developing and keep changing for the better.-
During the COVID pandemic, we have grown even more appreciative of this kind of large-scale sports festivals for children that are put together by SIBUR. I was among the first ones to sign my children up for a master class with Olympic champions. Our entire family came to watch and cheer for them. I believe that if parents pay a great deal of attention to their children’s athletic progress from early childhood on, the habit will stay with them for years to come. Practicing sports helps children become more focused and responsible, and it helps develop self-control and willpower, the qualities that matter at any age, shared Maria Manko, a mother of a master class participant.
A total of around 800 children took part in the festivals held in SIBUR's cities of presence in Western Siberia. More than 1,000 people became guests of the festivals’ various events that turned into festive occasions for all city residents. They had a great time being around the star athletes, getting autographs and taking photos. Thanks to SIBUR’s support, children from Noyabrsk and Nizhnevartovsk got loads of useful experience and positive emotions, while the local sports grounds received a facelift with new added equipment.
The Winter Fest festival was held as part of the Formula for Good Deeds, SIBUR's social investment program. Its motto is "More Movement = More Victories". The festival’s key objective is to promote fitness and healthy living as a popular trend among Russia’s youths while devoting special attention to supporting and developing regional coaching talents and to promoting sports.
The Winter Fest has been held since 2015 in the cities of Tobolsk, Dzerzhinsk, Nizhnevartovsk, Tomsk, Perm, Noyabrsk, Kstovo, Blagoveshchensk, and others. Over this time, more than 13,000 children have taken part in the master classes with star athletes, legends of sports, and Olympic champions.
Over the years, the festival has been attended by the likes of Ilya Averbukh, Alexei Yagudin, Maxim Marinin, Fedor Kanareikin, Sergey Gimaev, Maria Butyrskaya, Dmitry Ryabykin, Andrey Nikolishin, Vladimir Antipov, Ildar Mukhometov, Sergey Shepelev, Elena Berezhnaya, and others.