In Irkutsk, after reconstruction, the new hockey rink of the children’s club Olympia was ceremoniously opened, which received an updated field thanks to a nationwide campaign and support from several organizations. Now it has a concrete base, professional lighting, boards and a warm locker room, and the opening was marked by a friendly match. For the club, which turned 33, this is an important event, the Olympians continue to perform at a high level and are already preparing for international tournaments.

In April 2012, the Irkutsk hockey team “Olympia” won the All-Russian hockey campaign “Big Game.ru,” organized with the support of Rosneft. As a prize, the boys received a certificate for the installation of plastic hockey boards. In spring and summer, repairs were carried out at the rink. The Department of Physical Culture, Sports, and Youth Policy of the Irkutsk city administration helped attract sponsors for the reconstruction.
The old rink was dismantled, the 30x60-meter area was concreted, enclosed with boards, and professional lighting was installed around the perimeter. In early December, the rink was flooded and a heated changing room was installed nearby. The reconstruction was carried out with the participation of the Irkutsk Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Road Service of the Irkutsk Region, and the Yuri Ten Charitable Foundation.
Representatives of these organizations, as well as the boys from the Olympia club, gathered for the ceremonial opening of the rink. Their parents and fans took their seats in the stands. After the traditional red ribbon was cut, the hockey players played a friendly match.
This year, the children’s hockey club “Olympia” marked 33 years since its founding. Today, the team includes boys of different ages, from those born in 1999 to those born in 2007. It is worth noting that over the years of its existence, the “Olympians” have twice been champions of the all-Union and all-Russian “Golden Puck” tournament among children’s teams. The hockey players first won the tournament in 1985, and then again received the honorary award in 1996. Today the boys play at a professional level and proudly represent Irkutsk in competitions in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and abroad. For example, on December 14 the team will travel to China for an international hockey tournament. The president of the Olympia hockey club, Nikolai Shagapov, plans to hold an international hockey tournament on the ice of the new rink in February.
Based on materials from the press service of the Irkutsk city administration