The handball tournament “Heroes of the City” brought together a record number of participants in Chekhov

More than 700 handball players from Kazan, Togliatti, Astrakhan, Yekaterinburg, Moscow and the Moscow region came to Chekhov. Boys under 18, girls under 18, women, amateur men and professional men fought for the right to rise to the highest step of the podium.

Half of the players – 25 teams, represented the city district of Chekhov – the recognized capital of modern handball.

– It is in Chekhov that the Chekhov Bears handball club is based – a multiple champion of Russia. One of the priorities in the work of the club is the popularization of handball and the creation of conditions for mass activities. The best confirmation of this is the holding of an amateur handball tournament “Heroes of the City”, – explained Alexander Safonov, general director of the Chekhov Bears club. He noted that this year the SEHA – Gazprom League “East Division” became the partners of the Heroes of the City.

The tournament, in which everyone can participate, took its start in 2017. Then applications for participation in the competition were submitted by six Chekhov teams. Five years have passed, and the handball tournament, held in Chekhov twice a year, has grown so much that it has acquired the status of an all-Russian competition. Every year, new sports teams join its orbit.

50 teams, which include “a magnificent six and a goalkeeper”, played more than a hundred exciting matches at the Olimpiyskiy. “Heroes of the City” is an amateur tournament, so there were both experienced and novice athletes among the players.

– We created a combined team of girls from Protvino and Egorievsk shortly before the tournament. In three out of eight games we won, and now we are set for more active training. We like the very atmosphere of the game, its fast pace and flurry of indescribable emotions, – confessed Sofia, the leader of the INV girls’ team. A student of Plekhanov University maintains her sports form in the handball section.

The jubilee handball tournament, held in Chekhov for the tenth time, abounded in pleasant surprises. For the first time, the opening of the final was arranged so widely and solemnly. A professional team of cameramen, directors and commentators broadcast the final games live. An experienced host of the Chekhov Bears’ home matches worked in the hall all evening. A bright note at the beginning of each final match, as well as in time-outs, was brought in by the Chekhov Bears support group MANGO GIRLS. Dear Mishka, a symbol of the famous club, energized the players to win, and gave the fans a good mood. The intellectual highlight of the final stage was the work of the analytical studio. Demonstrative analysis of matches with coaches and players took place, as they say, in hot pursuit.

The final series of games was opened by the teams of girls from Chekhov “Seagull” and “Victoria”. The first goal of Lyudmila Bukatkina from “The Seagull” was multiplied during the game to 17 winning goals. Maria Bolotnova became the team’s top scorer. Players of “Victoria” scored three goals against the rivals.

– Handball is a game where you have to be able not only to run fast, but also to think fast – the situation on the court changes instantly. A good reaction and fighting qualities are the components of success in handball, – said Lyudmila Bukatkina. The team’s coach Evgeny Borovoy noted that the victory of “The Seagull”, which first announced itself at the “Heroes of the City”, is the result of hard training and energetic play. And indeed, during the match on the playing field there were moments of such violent attacks that it seemed that the struggle was for the highest – Olympic gold.

In general, it is believed that women play handball more emotionally. The male game is distinguished by power and technicality. Just such a beautiful game in the category “Men. Amateurs” was demonstrated by the teams of RANEPA (Moscow) and KAI-Zilant (Kazan). The battle went almost equally. In terms of the number of goals scored, the rivals went, as they say, head to head. By some miracle, RANEPA students snatched the victory from the guests from Kazan.

– Handball players from Kazan were our principal rival today – we lost three games to them earlier. In the last minutes of the match, we got together, made a bet on a quick game and won, – explained Vyacheslav Malyshev, captain of the RANEPA team.

It is curious that during the draw at the tournament two teams were chosen – Chaika and RANEPA, about which a mini-film was made. It included episodes of sports battles, interviews with players and filming in an informal setting. This was told by Evgeny Kuznetsov, head of the development department of the Chekhov Bears Group of Companies.

After the end of the final games, the audience was in for another surprise. The best players of the “Heroes of the City” united in one team to play a friendly match with the team of veterans of the “Chekhov Bears”. As a result of an exciting game, friendship won.

The largest amateur handball tournament in Russia ended with the award ceremony for the best of the best. Two Chekhov’s teams became “Heroes of the City”: “Seagull” – among girls and “Vympel” – among boys. In the category “Men. Professionals” was won by the “Sturm” team from Moscow. OLYMPYA from Tolyatti won the first place among women’s teams, the RANEPA team became the strongest in the Men’s category. Lovers.”