Sitting volleyball is a variation of volleyball for athletes with musculoskeletal disorders, a Paralympic sport that has been taken up by residents of Chelny, participants in the special military operation. Training sessions for them are held three times a week at Sports School No. 11. Coach Ilgiz Akhmetshin shares that the first sessions began in April of this year, and in May, the city's national team, which was decided to be named "Phoenix", went to competitions in Kazan, where it took second place among six teams. As a result, several people joined the national team of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The "Lion Heart" Foundation for the Support of Disabled Athletes presented volleyball uniforms to the participants of the special military operation on the Day of Combat Veterans. As the president of the foundation Elvira Ivleva notes, together with her husband Evgeny Ivlev, they decided to establish a special foundation for the support of disabled athletes, "Lion Heart".
"We will support teams with disabilities: both adult and children's, as well as children who have found themselves in difficult situations. We are great at sewing clothes, but we cannot provide these sports teams with everything they need on our own. In addition to clothing, these teams need equipment, sports grounds, and much more, so we are asking for support from other organizations," said Elvira Ivleva.
Evgeny Ivlev presented the coach with a set of sports equipment. These are 13 sets of volleyball uniforms.
It should be noted that great attention is paid to supporting participants of the special military operation in Naberezhnye Chelny, and the mayor of the city Nail Magdeev personally participates in the events. This was announced at the presentation by the head of the Department of Information Policy and Public Relations Rimma Mukhametzyanova, who thanked the owner of "Ivlev Pride" Evgeny Ivlev for supporting the team:
"The team chose a very accurate name for itself – "Phoenix", symbolizing rebirth. We feel great pride and respect looking at your strength of spirit. Finding yourself in sports, you are doing a very important thing – you are becoming a moral guide and an example for the younger generation.
It is gratifying that it is thanks to you that a new sports direction is being born in Naberezhnye Chelny – sitting volleyball. Wheelchair basketball is already developing in the city, and we know well what an unbending will these athletes possess. You are real heroes, and society needs to be told about you, about your strength and determination. Thank you for your example!"
Words of gratitude to Evgeny Ivlev were expressed by the chairman of the "City Council of Veterans of the Special Military Operation" association, member of the City Council, Colonel Shamil Ayupov. He presented the entrepreneur with a letter of appreciation from the "City Council of Veterans of the Special Military Operation".
"A huge thank you to the coach for being able to prepare such a strong team in such a short time. You not only courageously and bravely defended the interests of the Motherland in the special military operation zone, but also, without losing heart, won here. Well done, thank you very much!"— he emphasized.
Recall that Sports School No. 11 was completely renovated last year. As the coach noted, the recruitment of participants of the special military operation to the volleyball section will begin in the near future.
The development of adaptive sports and the social adaptation of combat veterans are being carried out in the region within the framework of the federal project "Development of Adaptive Sports and Social Adaptation of Veterans of the Special Military Operation" of the national project "Sport of Russia".