From September 2 to 12, the Russian Cup in futsal (deaf sports) took place in Astrakhan. Seven teams from Voronezh, Samara, and Novosibirsk Oblasts, the Republics of Dagestan and Sakha (Yakutia), the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), and the friendly Republic of Belarus competed for the title of strongest at the "New Generation" sports complex. All matches were played in a round-robin format, with each team facing every other team, as decided by the referees.

The opening ceremony was attended by Roman Limonov, Head of the Russian National Futsal Team, Head Coach Vyacheslav Gutko, and Chief Referee Leonid Parfenov. They warmly welcomed the athletes and wished everyone success and a fair, competitive tournament. This event marked a historic moment for the Yakut team, as it was their first time competing in a professional, all-Russian futsal competition.

The seven days of competition (with two rest days) at the Astrakhan Cup of Russia in futsal flew by, quickly reaching the final stage. A round before the end, the team from the Novosibirsk Oblast secured the main prize — the Russian Cup — thanks to their consistent performance. However, the decisive match between the teams from the Voronezh Oblast and the Republic of Belarus determined the silver and bronze medalists, with the Belarusian team emerging victorious and taking second place, while Voronezh Oblast finished third.

Text: Nurlan Tazhigulov
Photo: Alexander Molotovsky
Translation: Daria Kudelina