In Verkhnyaya Pyshma (Sverdlovsk region) the international table tennis tournament "UGMK-OPEN" has finished. From 12 to 15 September, young athletes fought for medals in the competition, which were timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company.
The strongest athletes gathered at the tournament - 40 of the best tennis players in the FNTR rating, as well as those who passed the regional selection. In addition to the fight for cash prizes, and the tournament fund was 200,000 rubles, the athletes fought for a place in the Russian national team. “UGMK-OPEN” is being held for the first time, but it has already been included in the qualifiers for entering the national team. Thus, the tournament in Verkhnyaya Pyshma has become one of the largest competitions among mini-cadets - tennis players born in 2008 and younger.
128 boys and girls from 26 regions of Russia, as well as from Kazakhstan, played 15 singles games each, and the champions were determined based on their results. They were Orenburg residents Artur Fayzulin and Arina Abdullina. Silver medals were won by Evgeny Vasikov (Kaluga) and Zlata Terekhova (St. Petersburg), bronze medals were won by Ivan Vinogradov (Moscow) and Yesenia Shirokova (Orekhovo-Zuevo).
- Tournament turned out to be large-scale, despite the fact that “UGMK-OPEN” was held for the first time. Of course, this speaks of the level of competition. All tennis players and coaches thanked for the organization, for the format of the competition, where children played every day, and they had something to fight for. We will strive for UGMK-OPEN to be held every year, - noted Dmitry Balachenkov, director of the UMMC Table Tennis Club.
