The Open Sledge Hockey Cup “The Courage Cup” started in the Umka Ice Palace in Moscow

The opening ceremony of the Open Sledge Hockey Cup “The Courage Cup” was held by the Moscow Federation of Sports for Persons with Physical Impairment, the Moscow Sports Department with the assistance of the Russian Paralympic Committee in the Umka Ice Palace, Moscow.

This year, five strongest teams of the 2018/2019 sports season took the ice – Sport Hockey Team “Ugra” Khanty-Mansiisk autonomous district – Ugra, Sport Hockey Team “Phoenix” Moscow region, Sport Hockey Team “Yastrebi” (Hawks), Orenburg region, Sport Hockey Team Udmurtia, Udmurtia region and Sport Hockey Team “Belie Medvedi” (Polar Bears), Moscow.

Before the opening ceremony began, figure skater of the Olympic Reserve Sports School №1 of Moscow Sports Department Saveliy Karnilov performed before honored guests and viewers.

The opening ceremony was attended by the President of the Russian Paralympic Committee Vladimir Lukin, the Chairman of the Governing Board, the first Vice – President of the Russian Paralympic Committee, Pavel Rozhkov, the First Deputy Administrator of the Moscow Sports Department, Olympic champion Svetlana Bazhanova, Director of the Olympic Reserve Sports School №1 of Moscow Sports Department German Skoropupov, the President of the Russian Federation of Sports for Persons with Physical Impairment, 5 time Paralympic champion Andrey Strokin and the Head coach of the Russian National Sledge Hockey Team Ruslan Batirshin, chief referee of the competition Aleksander Zaitsev and so on.

After the opening ceremony, honored gusts congratulated the forward of the Sport Hockey Team “Udmurtia” Anton Arslanov on his birthday, after which Vladimir Lukin and Pavel Rozhkov presented him a memorable gift from the Russian Paralympic Committee.

The symbolic faceoff before the opening match between “Belie medvedi” (Polar Bears) and (Ugra) teams was held by Vladimir Lukin, Pavel Rozhkov and Svetlana Bazhanova.

At the end of the opening ceremony, a working meeting was held between Vladimir Lukin, Pavel Rozhkov and Svetlana Bazhanova on the development of the Paralympic Movement in Moscow. The meeting was attended by German Skoropupov and Andrey Strokin.

Two matches were held on the first day of the competition.

The Sport Hockey Team “Udmurtia” got the win against the Sport Hockey Team “Yastrebi” (Hawks) with the score 1:0, the author of the only goal was Maksim Kalachev.

The opening match between the teams “Belie Medvedi” (Polar Bears) and “Ugra” ended with the score 5-0 in favor of the “Ugra”. Mikhail Myachin, Aleksei Lisov, Konstantin Shishkov scored one goal each into the hosts of the tournament, brace was performed by Nikolai Terentyev.

On August 16, two matches will be held on the second day of the tournament.

10:00, Sport Hockey Team “Belie Medvedi” – Sport Hockey Team “Yastrebi”

12:15, Sport Hockey Team “Ugra” – Sport Hockey Team “Phoenix”