Political
and business leaders, as well as star athletes, artists, and public figures
took part in the ‘A Step Together’ charity basketball match. This year, the
traditional match to support children with cerebral palsy and their families
was held for the 12th time and was part of the sporting programme of
Russian Energy Week. The match took place at the Irina Viner-Usmanova
Gymnastics Palace in Moscow.
Russian
President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the match participants. “This
popular and important project fully reflects the growing attention that society
is paying to children with disabilities. Each year, it brings together
prominent cultural figures, athletes, government officials, businessmen, the
media, and those who take other people’s pain to heart and strive to do
everything possible so that children can find joy in life and interaction and
feel unwavering support,” Putin said in his greetings, which were read out by
Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the Russian President in the Central
Federal District Alexey Anisimov.
The star
participants were divided into two teams ‘Together with Roscongress’ and ‘A
Step with Viner’ and the match ended in a draw (73-73).
Prominent
players on the two teams included Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander
Novak, Honoured Artist of Russia Gosha Kutsenko, VTB United League President
Sergey Kushchenko, Russian Athletics Federation President Pyotr Ivanov, VTB
United League General Director and two-time Olympic medallist Ilona Korstin,
Olympic bronze medallists Svetlana Abrosimova, Natalya Vodopyanova, and Sergey
Monya, former Russian national football team players Dmitry Bulykin and Alexey
Smertin, President of the Central Sports Council of the Civil Service and
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the A Step Together Foundation Sergey
Kachushkin, popular blogger Sasha Stone, and others. The teams were coached by
Olympic champions Yevgeny Gomelsky and Ivan Yedeshko.
“I would
like to thank the organizers for continuing the wonderful tradition of holding
charity events and today’s sports festival. For our young spectators, this is
an important sign of attention and support,” Novak said.
The top
scorer in the match was 1992 Barcelona Olympic champion Irina Sumnikova, who
scored 14 points. The symbolic starting five of the match also included
Kushchenko, Vodopyanova, Korstin, and Director of the Department of Physical
Culture and Mass Sports of the Russian Ministry of Sports Maxim Urazov.
“The match
ended up being very emotional. I’m certain that all the spectators and players
felt it too. Thanks to our legendary coaches for not allowing us to relax and
forcing us to weather every moment of the game,” Kachushkin said.
Guests of
the match included children of veterans of Russia’s special military operation
and schoolchildren from the country’s new regions. During their three days in
Moscow, these young guests of the capital also visited Red Square, the Moscow
Zoo, the Moscow Planetarium, and the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard.
Russian
Energy Week is being held with the support of the Russian Government, the
Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, and the Moscow Government. It is
being organized by the Roscongress Foundation.
