From March 3 to 7, the Russian Badminton Championship was held in Kaluga at the Central Sports Palace. The championship brought together 51 of the country’s strongest athletes from 10 regions, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, the Republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, as well as the Nizhny Novgorod, Belgorod, Kursk, Yaroslavl, and Kaluga regions.
The event was inaugurated with welcoming speeches from Oleg Serdyukov, Minister of Sport of the Kaluga Region; Andrey Belikov, President of the Regional Badminton Federation; and Sergey Usov, Chairman of the Kaluga Federation of Deaf Sports.
For those who think badminton is merely a fitness activity that burns calories, think again. Badminton is actually one of the four most energy-intensive sports, alongside rowing, boxing, and cycling. Beyond its physical demands, badminton enhances coordination and, more importantly, sharpens mental focus and concentration. Players must react to extreme speeds, as the shuttlecock can reach initial velocities exceeding 400 kilometers per hour after being struck—the fastest among all racket sports.
The competition kicked off with the group stages in various categories: men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Over the course of three intense days, the battles between the masters of the shuttlecock raged from early morning until late evening. As anticipated, the tournament delivered thrilling matches, with the most exciting clashes occurring during the finals on the last day. By the end of the championship, winners and medallists in each discipline were crowned:
Men’s Singles:
1. Shokhzod Gulomzoda (Moscow)
2. Mikhail Efremov (Moscow)
3. Dmitry Rumyantsev (Moscow)
3. Artemiy Karpov (Moscow)
Women’s Singles:
1. Olga Shtaiger (Moscow)
2. Anastasia Karetnikova (Yaroslavl Oblast)
3. Elena Tyurina (Moscow)
3. Ksenia Kamysheva (Moscow)
Men’s Doubles:
1. Artemiy Karpov/Mikhail Efremov (Moscow)
2. Shokhzod Gulomzoda/Vitaly Ilyin (Moscow)
3. Artem Paramonov/Valery Antonov (Nizhny Novgorod Oblast)
3. Pavel Kudashkin/Arseny Kudashkin Republic of Tatarstan)
Women’s Doubles:
1. Antonina Inozemtseva/Elena Tyurina (Moscow)
2. Anastasia Ivankovskaya/Natalya Pshichkina (Moscow)
3. Alena Borovkova/Anastasia Karetnikova (Nizhny Novgorod Oblast/Yaroslavl Oblast)
3. Ksenia Kamysheva/Ekaterina Matviyeva (Moscow/Moscow Oblast)
Mixed Doubles:
1. Shokhzod Gulomzoda/Elena Tyurina (Moscow)
2. Mikhail Efremov/Olga Steiger (Moscow)
3. Artemiy Karpov/Irina Topychkanova (Moscow)
3. Dmitry Rumyantsev/Olga Dormidontova (Moscow)
Team Classification:
1st Place: Moscow
2nd Place: Republic of Tatarstan
3rd Place: Republic of Bashkortostan
Artemiy Karpov, Head Coach of the Russian National Badminton Team, shared his thoughts: “The championship was organized at a high level. The event management, referees, and volunteers performed their roles flawlessly. This was our first time hosting and participating in Kaluga, and the ‘Tsentralny’ Sports Palace proved to be an excellent venue. I believe it has great potential for future training camps, as it offers all the necessary facilities. Among the athletes, there are several promising players demonstrating strong, mature performances. I’d like to highlight Matvey Erofeev from Kazan and Ekaterina Karetnikova from Yaroslavl, who reached the singles finals. These athletes are making steady progress, which is very encouraging.”
Text: Nurlan Tazhigulov
Photo: Sofia Rumiantseva
Translation: Daria Kudelina
