15.10.2015 First start of the new season

Sledge Hockey Club “Ugra” will take part in the first stage of the Russian Championship which will be held from October 17 till October 25, 2015 in Aleksin (Tula Oblast). Sledge Hockey Club “Ugra” will take part in the first stage of the Russian Championship which will be held from October 17 till October 25, 2015 in Aleksin (Tula Oblast).Sledge Hockey Club “Ugra” will take part in the first stage of the Russian Championship which will be held from October 17 till October 25, 2015 in Aleksin (Tula Oblast). Sledge Hockey Club “Ugra” will take part in the first stage of the Russian Championship which will be held from October 17 till October 25, 2015 in Aleksin (Tula Oblast). 7 teams - “Udmurtia”, “Ugra”, “Hawks” from Orenburg Oblast, two teams from Moscow “Star” and “White Bears”, two teams of Moscow Oblast “Phoenix” and “Poenix-2” will take part in the competitions. “Ugra” will include 12 players - two goaltenders and 10 skaters. Two new players, which have been training with the team for about a year, are included in Ugra team. They are forward Ian Rushakov and defender Iurii Troshchenko. The winner of the silver medal of the Paralympic Games in Sochi Vasilii Varlakov will not be able to take part in these competitions because he is recovering after the shoulder surgery. According to doctors’ predictions he will join the team in November. Three more sledge hockey players of “Ugra” begin their sports career and according to the coaches they are not ready for such serious competitions at the moment. “We tried to bring the guys to the top of their physical fitness for these competitions, - the coach of the Sledge Hockey Club “Ugra” Aleksei Buzyrev comments. - During training activities all guys improved the level of their skills. The opponents are strong. According to the results of the first playing day it will be seen whether each team is ready or not. We not only count on experienced and strong players but also want to try new players. We get up for all matches and only for win”. Now the rules of the Russia Championships stipulate two stages - in autumn and in spring. At these stages the teams play in a circle. The winner is determined according to the number of points scored at both stages. According to the chief coach of the Sledge Hockey Club “Ugra” Aleksandr Zykov, the Russian Paralympic Committee proposed an updated draft of the rules according to the Olympic system, where at the first stage of the competition the teams play in a circle and at the second stage they play in groups according to the results of the first stage of the Championship. Apparently, they were not approved and before the competitions the teams were sent the former rules. "Eight months ago at the meeting of the President of the Russian Paralympic Committee Pavel Rozhkov with the director and chief coach of the SHC "Ugra", the chief national coach of the sledge hockey Sergei Samoilov the issue of formation of sledge hockey coaches counsel which shall consist of the representatives of all teams, approve the rules of competitions and decide disputes, was discussed" - the president of SHC "Ugra" Eduard Isakov says. - Sergei Samoilov was charged with the formation of the counsel. As of today the coach counsel has not been formed, the draw is held without the representatives of the teams, the competitions are held according to the old rules. In my opinion, sledge hockey must go to a new level. After the Paralympic Games in Sochi, where the grandstands were filled with spectators, it became obvious that this sport can be popular in Russia. Spectators will visit matches. It is necessary to hold regular matches according to the KHL scheme - home and away ones. Certainly, this will lead to increase in the budget, but contribute to the popularity of ice sledge hockey. "Ugra" proposed to hold the stage of the Championship of Russia in Khanty-Mansiysk, but this proposition was passed over. For two years after the Paralympic Games the sledge hockey competitions have been held at the closed base of the sports training centre with almost empty stands. Only the employees of this centre are spectators. I consider that it is discrimination of disabled people. The competitions should be public and popularity of sledge hockey depends on this fact and as a result the increase in number of regional teams.”