Award for championship: Neftekhimik U14 to go to Russian football squad’s match
A FIFA World Cup qualifier between Russia and Slovenia will be in Sochi on 27 March at 5 pm. Thousands of Russian fans, including Neftekhimik U14 team — the champion of the Tatarstan Winter Championship — from Nizhnekamsk, will watch the match at Fisht stadium. Within cooperation of TAIF Group of Companies with the Russian Football Union, President of Neftekhimik FC Timur Shigabutdinov decided to award the young football players for their successes they demonstrated on the football pitch.
Preparation for Russian Championship
School holidays for these lads are the time for more intense training. Neftekhimik U14 is preparing for the Volga final of the Russian Football Championship. It will take place in Saransk from 4 to 14 April. The strongest teams with players born in 2007 will compete in the tournament.
“The boys are in good shape. This year we have become champions of the Tatarstan Winter Championship, won important matches against Rubin in Kazan, thus confirming last year’s success. No less important games are ahead,” says the team’s coach Igor Bolotin.
Neftekhimik U14 has been showing great results for the second year in a row. The top management of Neftekhimik FC noted the team’s successes. President of the football club Timur Shigabutdinov decided to award the young athletes and present them tickets to the Russian national team’s game.
Two days in the Black Sea
On Saturday, 27 March, Neftekhimik U14 is due to head for Sochi at 7 am to a WC qualifier between Russia and Slovenia. The football players will be back on Monday, 29 March. The lads will have the whole day to walk in the embankment and look over sports venues.
“It is a huge experience to see Russia play. We will carefully follow the game tactics to use it later,” says Neftekhimik U14 player David Abdulmanov.
“A football player must have a character, and the team must have a spirit. It is necessary to hear, understand, feel each other. We are still working on it. We will learn this from our national team,” said Elmar Gamirullin.
According to the boy, they are waiting for a beautiful game and our team’s win in Sochi. The young football players even bet on the score.
“Russia will win, I am sure. The score will be 2-1,” Roma Borozovsky said.
“10-0, Russia rocks!” another player disagreed.
Neftekhimik U14’s captain Bulat Gazizov admitted he had always dreamed about being in such a top tournament.
“I really want to see a match at such a huge stadium. We want to be first, while we have to train a lot, work on coordination, speed, quick decision making for this,” he stressed.
Stimulus for future victories
The management of Neftekhimik FC’s Youth Football School thinks that the trip to Sochi will become a stimulus for other teams that also show good results.
So Neftekhimik U10 and Neftekhimik U12 won silver in the Tatarstan Winter Championship.
“I would like to express my deep gratitude to TAIF GC in the person of President of the football club Timur Shigabutdinov. The children are very happy about the trip to Sochi. They have really deserved it. The Youth Football School of Neftekhimik FC has 11 teams. The lads will know that their effort doesn’t go unnoticed,” said vice principal of the Youth Football School of Neftekhimik FC Oleg Abmayev.
According to him, the sports school of Neftekhimik FC is actively developing. Last year, the Russian Football Union granted it the status of a children’s football centre. The youth sports school is going to be reconstructed, two small football pitches are due to be built too. It is also planned to grant Neftekhimik FC’s Youth Sports School the status of a football academy and, of course, train and prepare would-be champions.
“The trip will become a good motivation to keep playing football. But a greater goal is to develop Nizhnekamsk football and get to the masters’ team,” coach of Neftekhimik U14 Igor Bolotin concluded.
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