On March 30, 2024, the First All-Russian Festival of Adaptive Sports “Impulse” was held in the city of Chelyabinsk, which was organized by the “International Inclusive Committee”, in the building of the Ural State University of Physical Culture. The event was held with the participation of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives – the Open to All project.
The title sponsor of the festival is Russia’s most charitable program “FONBET” DobroFON. Information support was provided by the MATCH.TV channel and the state program “National Projects of Russia”.
The All-Russian Festival of Adaptive Sports “Impulse” has become the largest sports event among mass adaptive sports in Russia, the festival will be annual and will be held twice a year, for summer and winter sports.
The bright start of the event was a parade of participants from 25 regions, who presented the following sports: Taekwondo, Para-Karate, Darts, Bocce, Boccia, Armwrestling, Cheerleading, Football, Table Tennis, Adaptive Board Games. At the opening ceremony the start was given by the fiery support group of the Dynamo-Metar volleyball club. We can already say that this is the most significant event in the field of adaptive sports in Russia, where each participant could demonstrate their physical abilities and plunge into the atmosphere of the holiday.
Participation in the event is completely free for everyone.
13 adaptive types of mass sports for people with disabilities and/or people with disabilities;
More than 350 special athletes from Russian regions; More than 1000 participants in person.
In total, more than 180 sets of awards and 30 dice were raffled off for various team places; the athletes were awarded by honorary guests Pavel Sergeevich Mushikhin, Alexander Petrovich Ustinov and Valeria Andreevna Kupina, representatives of the FONBET company.
The festival was held as part of the “Sport is the norm of life” project.
All athletes received food packages provided by the partner company “Vkus Villa”, including meals (water, juice, two bars, waffles and cookies)
The honorary guests of the festival addressed the participants and spectators with a welcoming speech:
- Smirnov Alexander Alexandrovich – President of the International Inclusive Committee;
- Margarita Nikolaevna Pavlova – Senator of the Russian Federation from the Chelyabinsk region, Margarita Ivanovna highly appreciated such a large-scale event, visited all the sports grounds and talked with the participants;
- Yulia Aleksandrovna Sudarenko – Commissioner for Human Rights in the Chelyabinsk Region;
- Evgenia Viktorovna Mayorova – Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Chelyabinsk Region;
- Kodina Anna Aleksandrovna – First Deputy Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of the Chelyabinsk Region;
- Komissarov Mikhail Yuryevich – General Director of the Foundation “Center for Support of Civil Initiatives and Development of the Non-Profit Sector of the Chelyabinsk Region Economy”;
- Kleshchevnikov Maxim Sergeevich – Head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports of the Chelyabinsk City Administration;
- Alexey Gennadievich Smertin – Russian football player. Head of the project office for sustainable development and social responsibility of the Russian Football Union (RFU);
- Archpriest Yaroslav Ivanov – responsible for physical education and sports of the Chelyabinsk diocese, the Patriarchal Commission on Physical Culture and Sports and personally HIS EMPLOYESS, THE MOST REPRESENTATIVE METROPHANES, METROPOLITAN OF MURMANSK AND MONCHEGORSKY, CHAIRMAN OF THE PATRIARIAL COMMISSION ON THE ISSUE ITSELF PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS thanked the organizers for such an important and necessary charity, and for uniting adaptive athletes at one event.
- Alexander Valerievich Gusev – Head of the Social Services Department of the Ministry of Social Relations of the Chelyabinsk Region;
- Mushikhin Pavel Sergeevich – Deputy Head of the Department of Charity Programs at FONBET;
- Valeria Andreevna Kupina – Deputy Director for Marketing, Public Relations and Social Work at FONBET;
- Ustinov Alexander Petrovich – PR Director of FONBET
- Natalya Vladimirovna Belousova – Branch of the State Fund Defenders of the Fatherland in the Chelyabinsk region.
- Natalya Georgievna Kutepova – Assistant to the Senator of the Russian Federation from the Chelyabinsk region.
Summarizing the speeches of the guests, it was noted that competitions of this level are very important for special athletes who improve their skills, feel involved in society, experience, adapt, inspire and delight the world with their achievements.
On behalf of the festival organizers, all those present observed a minute of silence in memory of those killed in the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow on March 22, 2024.
Throughout the festival, each participant had the opportunity to take a memorable photo and receive an instant photo with real emotions.
The headliner of the festival and a bright musical gift for all participants and fans was the legendary musical group “140 beats per minute” from Moscow, which performed their hit “Topolya” and other hits of the 2000s.
Particular attention of fans was directed to the Football Championship, where the entire podium was taken by the team from Chelyabinsk, which received the Champions Cup from the hands of the legend, ex-captain of the Russian national football team Aleksey Smertin. Also within the framework of the festival, the FAT Championship of Russia in adaptive Taekwondo was held, where the team from Moscow, which was able to win the maximum number of gold medals, became the absolute champions in the general team event. The second step of the podium was taken by the team from Chelyabinsk, and the team from the Republic of Bashkortostan became the bronze medalists of the team championship.
Festival participants paid attention to the well-coordinated team of the volunteer movement “Regional Sports Training Center for Adaptive Sports of the Chelyabinsk Region”.
The winners and runners-up of the festival received memorable medals and certificates, as well as bright emotions and a sea of applause from fans and guests of the festival. The competition has ended, but goals for 2024-2025 have been set – this is the best result of a large-scale sporting event.
The “International Inclusive Committee”, represented by President Alexander Alexandrovich Smirnov, would like to thank the company “FONBET” and its Charity project “DobroFON”, which supports a lot of sports organizations and really does the most good deeds for the development and popularization of sports in Russia.
The “International Inclusive Committee”, represented by President Alexander Alexandrovich Smirnov, would like to thank all the guests who attended the opening ceremony and said kind and necessary words to the participants, supported them and wished them victories.
The “International Inclusive Committee”, represented by President Alexander Alexandrovich Smirnov, thanks the “Regional Sports Training Center for Adaptive Sports of the Chelyabinsk Region” and personally the director of the center, Pavel Alexandrovich Titov, for their coordinated work and assistance in organizing the most massive Festival in Russia .
The “International Inclusive Committee”, represented by President Alexander Alexandrovich Smirnov, thanks the judges in all sports and the volunteers for the quality work done.
