FROM THE YARD CHAMPIONSHIP TO THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP. FOOTBALL PLAYER IVAN POTEKHIN GOT HIS CHANCE AT THE AGE OF 17. AND NOW HE IS WORKING TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THIS CHANCE

Dreams are the prerogative of childhood. Until the moment of realizing the complexity of the world, everyone dreams of growing up, becoming an astronaut, a teacher, a doctor, and later - of justice, equality, and true friendship. In Dzerzhinsk, a little boy with cerebral palsy dreamed of just playing football. Repeatedly rejected, he never stopped doubting his vocation and believed that everyone in life gets a chance. Ivan Potekhin's dream led him to the very top — medals at the World and European Championships and Paralympic gold. And having achieved everything, he did not stop — and now he wants to fulfill other people's dreams.

On a frosty morning, Ivan walks briskly through the crisp, fresh snow to train. Officially, he finished his career a couple of years ago, now he is engaged in administrative work. But, cutting out free time in a busy schedule, as before, he rushes to the base in Zarechye. At the entrance to a neat two-story building surrounded by a pine forest and a frozen lake, Ivan falls into the arms of Avtandil Mikhailovich Baramidze, a long-time coach of the Russian national team and president of the All-Russian Federation for Football for People with Cerebral Palsy. He remembers all his players, their birthdays and their first training sessions. Ivan also remembered the first training session with Avtandil Mikhailovich for the rest of his life:

— It started with the fact that I met Pavel Bitunov. In the 2000s, he played for the Paralympic team, and lived, like me, in Dzerzhinsk. And just at some point he said: "Let's go to Moscow for a viewing, to the Russian national team." I still remember that day very well. Then the team just returned from Sydney, where they won gold medals at the Paralympic Games. And here I am with them on the same field! Such jitters came! Now I understand that in such moments, on the contrary, you need to let go of everything, relax, just calmly show everything that you can do. But how can you control yourself at a time like this? It's just unreal. After training, Avtandil Mikhailovich said: "If you try hard, work hard, then everything will work out." And already in 2002, I entered the field for the second team of Russia at the international tournament — the Lev Chernov Cup. It was fantastic for me: Yesterday I was chasing a ball in the yard, and now I defend the honor of the country. Let the second team, but the same coat of arms on the chest!

Ivan is not modest. Until the moment of getting into the national team, he did not play professional football. The football section was too far away from home, and the mother, who raised two sons alone,could not even take on the daily training. Yes, and enrollment there was hindered by the restrictions prescribed by the doctor of physical activity. He managed to find his first amateur team at the age of 17. Before that, his training sessions and championships were held in the courtyard of his house in Dzerzhinsk.

— Well, how do you describe our team?.. Cheerful. Once the coach San Sanych Larionov asks before the game: "And where is this guy, Lech?» We respond: "And he was taken to the army." To which the coach says :" Did he leave his boots?» Then there really was no equipment, everyone inherited each other's uniforms and boots. And at the same time, I sat on the bench for two years until I had a chance to prove myself. And I waited stubbornly. Where does this dedication and love for football come from? Probably from Dad. He played for the Second league team when he lived in the Crimea. But he did not manage to teach me, suggest me, pass on his experience to me — he died when I was 10. Apparently, this love has been preserved at some genetic level. Of course, after moving to Moscow, I felt the contrast immediately. Here, literally all the conditions were created for us, I did not even imagine that such a thing could happen. And the great merit in this is Lev Semenovich Cherny, who created the club "Olimpia-Lev Chernoy", which became a multiple champion of Russia, where I played for more than 15 years. He contributed to the construction of this base, where the federation is now located, and the Moscow collections have the opportunity to keep in shape. In the noughties, when the national team did not have strong state support, he took on the costs of its maintenance.

In the Russian national team, Ivan Potekhin took root immediately. For his hard work and character, he was appreciated by both coaches and teammates, with whom he experienced all possible ups. And falls!

At the first European Championship for Ivan in 2002, the national team took second place — "a shame", as the maximalist Avtandil Mikhailovich says. But Potekhin, although he played as a central defender, became the top scorer of the tournament. There were also bright victories at three world championships. But the main task, of course, was to win the Paralympics. In 2004, at the Games in Athens, the national team took third place, in 2008, in Beijing, it became the second. From London, the birthplace of football, the guys brought gold medals.

— It was a huge disappointment in 2016, when the team was not allowed to play. So much strength, work, health, energy, - Ivan laments. — We prepared an amazing team for those Games! Avtandil Mikhailovich spent a change of generations in the national team, and he managed to achieve an accurate balance of youth and experience. We were at the peak of our form at the time. For me, as it turned out, these games would be the last, for a number of guys — the first. And for reasons that are still unclear to anyone, we were deprived of this opportunity. When the first reports came out, we were shocked. No one believed that this could be true, they were waiting for some official denials, even apologies. The entire Paralympic delegation was waiting in Novogorsk without sorting their suitcases. Until the very last moment, before raising the flag of the Rio Paralympics…

Despite all the difficulties that fill the life of an athlete, Ivan admits that he would not exchange it for any other. After all, football helped him to create a strong and large family. And it was like this. Ivan was walking around Moscow with his teammate Lasha Murvanadze. And they met two sisters... and each played their own wedding!

Now Ivan has three children. And the wards on the sports line in many ways, too — are like children.

— Now children with disabilities have the same problems that I had at their age. There are not so many specialized sports sections and coaches who could work with them. Not all parents have the opportunity to accompany their child to these trainings — " explains Ivan Potekhin. — If we talk about football for the disabled, many people do not really understand what it is. But in Russia there are only seven types of national teams for people with disabilities. But many, like me once, do not know where to go, where to prove themselves. And it begins to seem that no one needs such people. And they are still needed! The Paralympic movement, the federation, and the country need it. We decided to start with ourselves. Together with Lasha Murvanadze and Zaurbek Pagaev — with the support of Avtandil Mikhailovich, the All-Russian Football Federation of People with CP and PCR-we are creating the Moscow Federation. We want to create teams in different districts of Moscow, at least 3-5 to begin with, where the guys would study, improve their skills, and play with their partners for their own pleasure. Avtandil Mikhailovich is always waiting for them to watch in the national team, and everyone has a chance.

Ivan Potekhin also offers to increase the chances of success within the framework of the Fonbet charity program "Bet on Good" by transferring 100,000 rubles to the Parasport Foundation, which has been supporting Russian Paralympic athletes for more than 15 years.

Source: https://novayagazeta.ru/articles/2021/02/26/89383-iz-chempionata-dvora-na-chempionat-mira