About a hundred children from the families of the deceased SVO participants of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions were invited to the capital. The “Step Together” Foundation (whose main direction is to help children with cerebral palsy), founded and headed by the famous actor, director, screenwriter and producer of theater and film Gosha Kutsenko, together with the Central Executive Committee of the Federation of Russia held charity events for several days. the United Russia party and with the all-Russian public organization “Young Guard of United Russia”.
The match, in which famous basketball players, government and public figures and business representatives participated, closed an extensive sports and cultural-educational program organized for children with excursions to Red Square, the Moscow River, Panda Park, the cable car Moscow and a visit to a gala concert with the participation of rhythmic gymnastics stars in the Irina Viner-Usmanova Palace, etc.
In the charity match the teams “Step Up” and “Move Together” took to the field of the Basket Hall in the Krylatskoye district of the capital. Let us explain that this is a combination of words from the name of the Foundation and from the book by the 1972 Munich Olympic champion, Sergei Belov, about the legendary victory at the Summer Games more than half a century ago, about which a movie was filmed. movie of the same name. Then it was made, which for a long time remained the absolute leader of the Russian box office.
The match was broadcast live on the federal sports television channel “Match! Country”, 2007 European champion Nikita Morgunov commented on the match.
Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted the participants, organizers and spectators of the traditional and already number 11 charity basketball game of the Step Together Foundation.
“It is gratifying that this wonderful initiative, implemented by the Step Together Foundation, always has broad public support and unites with its tasks energetic, supportive and sensitive people to the misfortune of others.
As is tradition, famous athletes, representatives of government and business structures, media and creative organizations take part in the current match, which is held under the motto “Move Up.” And, of course, the main guests of the event are boys and girls from many regions of the country, including the Donbass, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. I am sure that interesting meetings, a rich sports, cultural and educational program and exciting boat excursions will leave vivid and indelible impressions in the memory of children,” says the greeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The five “Movement Together” team starters included:
– two-time European champion (2007, 2011), bronze medalist of the 2008 Olympic Games, two-time silver medalist of the World Championship (1998, 2006), champion of the foreign women’s NBA and the United States Student Association United, Svetlana Abrosimova;
– European Champion in 2007, Sergey Bykov;
– Yuri (Gosha) Kutsenko;
– Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Alexander Novak;
– Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Step Together Foundation Sergei Kachushkin.
Coaching staff: coach of the 1992 Barcelona Olympic champions, member of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame Evgeniy Gomelsky, Secretary of State – Deputy Minister of the Interior of the Russian Federation Igor Zubov, director of the facilities sports of the capital “Basket Hall” and “Canal Rowing” Oleg Rudakov.
As the matches progressed, the following players came into play with substitutions:
– two-time world champion (2013, 2014), bronze medalist of the 2016 Olympic Games in epee and fencing Violetta Kolobova;
– President of the Moscow Basketball Federation, Alexander Novozhilov;
– Olga Pankova, first deputy general director of the RFSO “Lokomotiv”;
– Chairman of the Coordination Council of the Young Guard of United Russia, Anton Demidov;
– pop artist Roman Arkhipov;
– General Director of the National Health Foundation Stanislav Kamentsev;
– young basketball player from the Zaporozhye region Artemy Sergeev;
and others.
The initial lineup of the Step Up team looked like this:
– General Secretary of the Russian Basketball Federation (RFB), European champion in 2007, two-time Olympic bronze medalist (2004, 2008) Natalya Vodopyanova;
– bronze medalist of the 2012 Olympic Games Vitaly Fridzon;
– 2007 European Champion, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Sergei Monya;
– President of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC), four-time Olympic saber fencing champion, Stanislav Pozdnyakov;
– actor of the film “Moving Up” (the role of the author of the “golden pass” Ivan Edeshko) Kuzma Saprykin.
Coaching staff: former coach of the Russian men’s national team and BC Khimki Sergei Elevich, deputy sports minister of the Russian Federation Odes Baysultanov, world and European champion, two-time medalist of the Winter Olympics in figure skating Alexander Zhulin.
Also participating in the match were:
– Irina Sumnikova, Barcelona 1992 Olympic champion;
– two-time Olympic champion (2012, 2016), three-time world champion (2011, 2015, 2021) in Greco-Roman wrestling Roman Vlasov;
– Minister of Labor and Social Policy of the Kherson Region, Alla Barkhatnova;
– First Deputy Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Azat Kadyrov;
– and about. the Minister of Sports of the LPR, Oleg Shereneshev;
– Chairman of the Committee on Youth Policy of the State Duma, Artem Metelev;
– Senator Alexander Weinberg;
– Head of the All-Russian development program “Else” of the presidential platform “Russia is a land of opportunities”, Kirill Khvil;
– theater and film actor, television presenter Mikhail Mamaev; and others.
The first accurate shots in the team’s lineups were made by basketball players who had recently completed their glorious professional careers: Svetlana Abrosimova (“Move Together”) responded to Natalya Vodopyanova’s (“Step Up”) goal pass with a shot into the hoop . . And then there was an exchange of accurate long-distance shots, that is, from three points: Abrosimova’s teammate Sergei Kachushkin and the master of this element of basketball Vitaly Fridzon distinguished themselves. Thus, at the opening of the match the scoreboard registered the score 5:5. When the playing time was up, the “five” were still on fire, only they were twice as many: 55:55.
In fact, the official basketball rules do not provide for ties. But there are two exceptions: if it is one of the matches of a two-legged cup competition or a charity, friendly and friendly match. Therefore, the judging panel recorded the final equality between the “Move Together” and “Step Up” teams.
