Taste of victory: on the way toward champion’s title with Kazanorgsintez

Success in big sport

For fourteen years, since 2006, TAIF Group and its leading companies Kazanorgsintez and Nizhnekamskneftekhim have financed Rubin football club. All these years, sponsors together with the team have experienced its ups and downs. The club entered the year 2020 with new goals and the new head coach, Leonid Slutsky. Now, at the end of the season, we can say that the team has met the expectations placed on it, showing a decent meaningful play and retaining its permit in the Premier League. Rubin is going to compete for the top positions in the new season.

Leonid Slutsky renewed the team and coaching staff. The coach of the second team, Oleg Veretennikov, came to the club from Rotor, Volgograd. New forward Ivan Ignatiev came from Krasnodar to Rubin, midfielder Denis Makarov — from Neftekhimik, defender Ilya Samoshnikov — from Torpedo, Moscow, and midfielder Soltmurad Bakaev — from Spartak.

With the support of Kazanorgsintez, the factory's Sintez water polo team comes to victory — multiple prize-winner, national champion, winner of the Russian Cup and the LEN Trophy Cup. In May 2020, Sintez water polo players again became Russian champions in the national championship, which ended ahead of schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Water polo in Kazan reached a new level of development with the construction of the first 50-metre indoor pool at the expense of the plant in 1973. On its basis, a team of water polo players was created, who achieved great success. Among the star pupils: honoured master of sport, two-time Olympic medalist and State Duma Deputy Irek Zinnurov, masters of sport of international class — forward Alexander Boyko and goalkeeper Nikolay Sharafeev. Olympic swimming champion of 2005 (Melbourne, Australia) among the hearing impaired, multiple champion of Russia, Europe and the world Olga Fedorova, masters of sport of international class in swimming Alexander Shimin, Yana Martynova, Ernest Maksumov and champion of Russia among the hearing impaired Olga Savina also revealed their sports potential here.

In 2018, with the support of Kazanorgsintez PJSC and TAIF Group, water polo Sintez was transformed into a water sports club, combining two more areas: diving and swimming. Such clubs successfully work in Europe, but this is the first experience for Russia. In December 2019, the club became the project of the year in the sports sphere of Tatarstan. In addition to famous water polo players, Sintez is now represented by the stars of Tatarstan swimming: Nikita Korolev, Ernest Maksumov, Egor Kuimov, Alexander Krasnykh, as well as masters of diving: Karina Shklyar, Alexander Belevtsev, Nikita Shleikher. Already as part of the new club, athletes have won a number of prestigious awards at international competitions.

Support for amateur teams

Along with investments in big sport, Kazanorgsintez actively supports amateur and mass sport, conducts its own competitions. Over the past two years, the company together with the trade union organization has organised almost three dozen sports events, where more than 2,000 employees participated. It is Kazanorgsintez employees' Spartakiad in 12 sports, and personal and team championship in cross-country skiing, as well as tournaments and championships in chess and draughts, dedicated to significant dates.

Teams of employees of the enterprise successfully perform at various amateur tournaments of different levels. The volleyball team of Kazanorgsintez has achieved great success. For the last three years, athletes have taken 1st place in the corporate championship among industrial enterprises of the city Kazan Business League (in 2017-2019) and 2nd place — in the Open Cup of Tathimfarmpreparaty. Kazanorgsintez's men's volleyball team trains on the basis of the Chemists' House of Culture, while the women's team is paid for classes with a coach.

For the national team in mini-football, the Trade Union Committee of the plant rents a hall in the sports complex Olympiets. In the summer of 2017, Sintez won the Kazan Cup among men's teams. In May 2018, Kazanorgsintez's football players became Russian champions among chemical industry enterprises for the second time. In 2019, they won the international football festival Sport Wave in Turkey.

This year, the Trade Union Committee has formed another amateur team from the company's employees — in ice hockey. Currently, the factory has announced recruitment to the team, and the purchase of uniforms is underway.

“In the future, we plan to buy a full set for hockey players — both parade and winter uniforms. The team was named Kazanorgsintez, it consists exclusively of employees of the plant and members of the Trade Union. The athletes have already started training and played several friendly games. Now we are negotiating a permanent site for training, looking for ice," said Shakirdzhan Abdusalyamov, the head of the department for youth and sports of the primary trade union organization of Kazanorgsintez PJSC.

It has become a good tradition for factory workers to participate in the sports competitions of the Tatarstan Republican Organisation of Roskhimprofsoyuz. The employees of Kazanorgsintez compete with chemists from other companies in track and field cross-country, mini-football, volleyball, table tennis, tug-of-war and chess. Since 2019, there has also been Wintwe Spartakiad, where the team of Kazanorgsintez has taken the 2nd place for the second year in a row. The factory together with the trade union organization purchased a new uniform with a unique design for the entire team. The sets were given to athletes of team sports (football, volleyball, track and field, etc.).

The plant annually presents one of the largest sports delegations to participate in the all-Russian sports events Ski Track of Russia and Cross of Nations. For example, more than 500 employees, including the company's management, have participated in the large-scale ski race this year. For the second year in a row, Kazanorgsintez has organised a separate 2 km race. Some factory workers successfully performed in citywide races. For example, Galina Suslova, the laboratory assistant for chemical analysis of quality management, became the third at a distance of 30 km, and a year earlier took gold at a distance of 10 km among women.

The company has created all conditions for active recreation and sport. Some workshops have weight training equipment, treadmills, and tennis tables. Employees compete with each other for the title of the most athletic division. Team sports are especially popular. The primary trade union organization of Kazanorgsintez pays for the rent of halls, the purchase of sports uniforms and shoes, as well as trips to competitions in other cities of Russia and abroad.

Sport for all

Throughout its history, Kazanorgsintez has made a great contribution to the development of sport and the promotion of healthy lifestyle in Tatarstan. This is not just about investing in big-time sports and building sports facilities. Often this assistance is individual in nature. For example, in April 2019, the plant provided financial support to a resident of Kazan, Raila Satdinova — the girl needed a single racing boat to participate in academic paragliding competitions.

In 2017, Raila has already managed to show good result, winning 1st place in her category at all-Russian competitions. Thanks to the support of Kazanorgsintez, which allocated 563,000 rubles for the purchase of sports equipment, the athlete had the opportunity to take part in the tournament again. And there are many similar examples of support for Tatarstan athletes, when the plant helped them achieve new heights, on the account of Kazanorgsintez.

On a regular basis, the petrochemical company directs a significant part of its revenue to the development of the sports industry of the city and the republic. Large sums are spent on major repairs, reconstruction and maintenance of sports complexes. In the period from 2018 to 2020, Orgsintez swimming pool was reconstructed. Since its foundation, the basin has been funded by Kazanorgsintez.

During the reconstruction, the ceiling and wall coverings were completely replaced in the big basin. Video surveillance and a modern lighting system with three main modes — training, gaming and maximum brightness for TV broadcasts in HD quality — have been installed. Fire alarm, ventilation, dehumidification and air conditioning systems have been completely updated to maintain the required humidity level in the premises. The conduit and water treatment tank, the filtration system of small basins have been updated. New heat exchangers with electronic control, responsible for heating and hot water systems, heating water in swimming basins have been installed.

This spring, Director General of Kazanorgsintez PJSC Farid Minigulov and President of Sintez aquatics sports club, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Irek Zinnurov inspected the updated base of water polo players. Athletes now have a separate professional locker room with a doctor's office, massage room, saunas and showers. Also, the building has been equipped with coaching rooms and offices of the club administration, the gym has been updated.

The pool remains the training base of Sintez team. It hosts matches of the Russian championship and international water polo competitions. Since recently, competitions in diving and swimming have been organised there. Students of the Olympic Reserve School train in the complex. Besides, thousands of children and adults are engaged in recreational swimming there.

Thanks to the support of TAIF Group and Kazanorgsintez, the necessary infrastructure for sports appeared in many parts of the city. For example, on the territory of Solnechny recreation centre near Kazan, a large-scale reconstruction of the sports stadium took place.

This is not the first time that Solnechny camp has been updated, and it has been modernised since 2017. Over this time, the recreation centre's stadium has been improved — a new football field with artificial lawn, lighting, running tracks and a workout area appeared.

The territory of the complex was divided into zones for each sport, so that now they can simultaneously play football, volleyball and basketball. The issue of safety has been worked out separately, so that both children and adults can safely engage in active recreation.

Next to the stadium, a new building for 35 people has been erected — here athletes will change clothes for training and competitions. There has also been prepared rooms for judges and medical staff in the building.

In winter, they can go skiing and skating near the camp. There is a ski track in the forest from Solnechny children's recreation camp to the Lebyazhye Lakes. In Solnechny, there is a ski rental and a skating rink with skate rentals. These winter activities for the citizens were also organised by Kazanorgsintez.

Kazanorgsintez also creates sports infrastructure for Kazan firefighters. A sports and training complex was built near the 9th checkpoint of the plant, next to the territory of the fire station No. 43 of the 5th fire brigade. The centre is divided into two zones: a four-storey training tower and a three-story sports complex. On the first floor, there is a playground for team sports. There is an observation deck for 45 people. On the playing field, they can practice volleyball, basketball and football. On the second floor there is a gym. The necessary equipment has already been purchased: more than a dozen names of simulators, barbells, gymnastic bars and more. On the third floor, there are various technical rooms. Changing rooms and shower rooms are on the first and second floors.

Thanks to the training tower, firefighters will have the opportunity to hone techniques for climbing into rooms through windows at different heights with the help of fire attack and three-section ladders, conduct training on rescuing victims from the floors of buildings and self-rescue. The sports complex will be transferred to the balance of the federal state budgetary institution 5th Squad of Russian State Fire Service for Tatarstan. We remind that there are three fire stations located at Kazanorgsintez. The local fire service has a staff of 286 people.

Every year, Kazanorgsintez invests large sums of money in the development of the sports industry and sports support. For example, in 2018 alone, the company allocated 2,7 billion rubles for this purpose. Significant funds were also transferred in 2019 to support amateur and professional teams, as well as to create equal conditions and opportunities for all citizens to be engaged in sports activities.