July 16, 2018TVERISPORT

No one stronger than Raduga: Tver hosts regional tug of war championship

The competition was dedicated to the 700th anniversary of the feat of the Holy Blessed Prince Mikhail of Tver and the 650th anniversary of the repose of the Holy Blessed Princess Anna of Kashin.

And in this case, it was far from accidental. As is well known, in the Middle Ages tug of war was one of the favorite pastimes during mass festive celebrations. The origins of this contest go back many centuries. According to researchers, the rivalry originally had a sacred meaning, symbolizing the struggle between good and evil in pagan rituals.

"Everything new is well-forgotten old," said Alexander Suvorov, president of the regional federation, at the opening ceremony of the first official Tver Region Tug of War Championship.

It was with the creation of this federation at the end of last year that folk traditions in our region were reborn and gained the official status of a sports discipline. Under the existing rules, the winners of the regional championship could compete not only for medals, cups, diplomas and valuable gifts, but also for the First Sports Category. To make that possible, however, a certain quorum was required in each discipline: at least six teams.

The debut championship brought together nine teams. Four of them (eight participants each) competed in the "Men's teams with a total weight of up to 720 kg" category. The rest competed for the lead among "mixed teams with a total weight of up to 600 kg" (four men plus four women). The participants included representatives of the Raduga sports club, the Valdai Academy of Martial Arts and CrossFit, the Zhukov Military Academy of Aerospace Defense and a number of Tver fitness clubs. For the vast majority of them, it was also their debut at an official competition.

Of course, there was excitement and pre-start jitters. Participants and coaches supported and encouraged one another. After all, team spirit matters here more than anywhere else. "One for all and all for one!" – this motto seems to have been invented specifically for rope sport. According to Alexander Suvorov, other important ingredients of success are the total weight of the team and individual and team technique.

"When we competed at the Russian Championship in St. Petersburg last winter, we were 50 kg underweight. In the end, that is what kept us from fighting for the podium; we finished fifth," Suvorov recalled.

The stubborn 8-on-8 battles on the embankment drew many spectators. Adults and children, caught up in the excitement, became genuinely involved and cheered. The support was especially loud when the contest became suspenseful: when one team started to "pull" first, but the other gradually seized the initiative and, centimeter by centimeter, won back, clawed back and pulled the advantage over to its side.

Order beats class, and experience and technique beat physical strength. One of the heaviest men's teams, Valdai-3 (UFSIN), managed to win only bronze medals. Silver in this category went to the team of the Zhukov Military Academy of Aerospace Defense-1. The championship title was won by the mighty squad of the Raduga Sports Club, whose line-up included several participants of the Russian Championship. The gold medalists and first champions of Tver Region were Ivan Zaitsev, Maxim Fedotov, Vladislav Dipkov, Ilya Grinev, Mikhail Smirnov, Igor Kervalidze, Artyom Petrov and Ivan Vorobyov.

Among the mixed teams, gold again went to the experienced and technically skilled athletes of the Raduga Sports Club: Roman Ospelnikov, Anna Palamarenko, Kristina Chikurova, Kristina Lyashenko, Ivan Vorobyov, Marina Kadach, Igor Kervalidze and Artyom Petrov.

Silver, however, was won by the Kulturnaya team, made up of representatives of the Valdai Academy of Martial Arts and CrossFit: Artyom Lumpov, David Yekimyan, Olga Osipova, Nikita Kulikov, Vlada Tarasova, Alexander Petukhov, Vera Zhdanko and Yekaterina Yudakova. In a hard-fought contest, the Valdai athletes edged out the bronze medalists from the Zhukov Military Academy of Aerospace Defense.

"The competition turned out to be very interesting, exciting and rather unpredictable," said Ivan Koltakov, coach at the Valdai Academy of Martial Arts and CrossFit. "We spent about a month preparing specifically for the championship, but at first our technique still 'sagged' badly; it turned out there are nuances we have not yet mastered. So we were learning as the competition went on. In the end, we added silver to our bronze. I think tug of war has a great future in Tver. As far as I know, in other regions it is a very widespread and popular sport. Its main appeal is that it is democratic and accessible. Holding competitions does not require any special conditions: a level area and a rope are enough. And practically anyone can take part, people from completely different sports; technique and tactics can be learned in a few sessions. At the same time, it develops not only certain physical qualities but also team spirit, the ability to work in a team and to carry out one's specific task. That is why tug of war can also be called a corporate sport."

Alexander Suvorov was also quite pleased with the first experience of holding a regional championship. In his words, a good foundation has been laid for the further development of tug of war as a sport in the city and the region.

"I think we will hold the next championship in three categories," Suvorov said, sharing his plans. "Along with the men's and mixed teams, we will also award medals among women's teams."