Rustam Minnikhanov: “The successes of KOS-Sintez are a contribution to Tatarstan's prestige”

The Russian Cup as a gift for a significant day for the General Director of Kazanorgsintez

Tatarstan's Minister of Sports, Vladimir Leonov, who took part in the ceremony honoring the KOS-Sintez water polo players, was more animated than usual. After all, his water polo past still shows — a bronze medal at the Russian Championship, with a decisive goal in the match for third place. The best gift is one made with one's own hands or by friends, like KOS-Sintez head coach Evgeny Yaroshchuk, with whom Leonov “drank chlorine water” at the Sintez Youth Sports School, and KOS-Sintez director Maxim Osmolovsky, with whom the head of the Ministry of Sports worked on the water polo tournament of the 2013 Universiade. Their senior colleague Irek Zinnurov was unable to attend the ceremony due to work commitments, which did not prevent Vladimir Alexandrovich from calling him with congratulations and greetings in the Tatar language, I might note.

And Leonov personally introduced himself to Yaroshchuk in a conversation with the Rais of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, so that he would have additional insight into the coaching staff of the water polo team entrusted to the reliable hands of the Kazanorgsintez management. For 52 years now, its general directors have been handing this team down from one to another, turning it over the years into a unique project for our country: “One city! One factory! One team!” It is possible that only the metallurgists of Magnitogorsk, Novokuznetsk, and Cherepovets can boast that local enterprises and hockey teams have gone hand in hand for about 50 years. But there it's “possibly," while here it's a proven fact, and the general director of Kazanorgsintez, Airat Safin, who was appointed to this post on June 14, 2022, received his first gift from people close to him this year — the KOS-Sintez water polo players, who had just won the Russian Cup.

At the ceremony itself, the head of the administration of the Rais of Tatarstan, Asgat Safarov, also joined the congratulations, personally coming to congratulate the champions. The seating arrangement of the water polo champions was interesting — spectators are used to seeing them either full-length but in swimsuits, or submerged in water. On one side sat two captains — Roman Shepelev (captain of the national team) and Sergei Lisunov (captain of KOS-Sintez), plus the “generals” — Airat Foatovich, Evgeny Alexandrovich, and Maxim Leonidovich. On the other wing, the front row was filled by: another captain, Artyom Odintsov (he captained the team before Lisunov, when it was still called Sintez), the inseparable tandem of Nikolai Lazarev and Adel Latypov, Emil Zinnurov, and Evgeny Kostrov.

Leonov this time decided to sit in the back row, next to the best defender of the Cup final, Daniil Pronin. It should be noted that after the autumn Super Cup, the coaching staff had complaints about Pronin for a mistake at the end of the match related to failure to follow instructions. And at the end of the season, Pronin received a best-player award, which speaks to the working dialogue within the team, when reprimands are properly received.

“Victory in all tournaments of the season is the result of years of work”

In his welcoming speech, Rustam Nurgalievich called Sintez one of the strongest clubs in the country with a rich history, which has nurtured a galaxy of stars in domestic water polo.

“Victory in all tournaments of the season is the result of years of work, professionalism, and team spirit. The team's successes are a great contribution to Tatarstan's prestige," noted the Rais of Tatarstan, and this assessment was also echoed by the President of the Russian Water Sports Federation, Dmitry Mazepin. This is partly because “the club is currently a base for training players for the national team," as Rustam Nurgalievich stated, awarding the triumphant team a check for 5 million rubles.

Indeed, the Tatarstan water polo pyramid is growing both upwards and outwards. Seven club graduates make up half of the championship squad; three Tatarstan water polo graduates play for teams in Volgograd, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, demonstrating that the best graduates of the Kazan school are breathing down the necks of the main team's players. And they, in turn, are ready to be replaced by the best players from the junior team KOS-Sintez-UOR, five of whom play for the country's junior national team. Tatarstan water polo fully demonstrates a model of building a championship pyramid; it is no coincidence that the head of the republic twice asked those present to both “clap” and “applaud” the tamers of the water element, the ball, and their opponents.

Evgeny Yaroshchuk: “The season ended with good performances in two tournaments”

The champion's coach, Evgeny Yaroshchuk, told Realnoe Vremya: “The season ended with good performances in two tournaments at once. Both in the national championship, where we secured a confident victory in three final matches, and in the National Cup, where we played two confident games. We were forced to gather exactly this number of teams due to the availability of the seventh and eighth potential participants — the second team Vostok and the Russian youth national team based on KOS-Sintez-UOR. They were playing an international tournament in Serbia at that time.”

Speaking about the sequence, the head coach of KOS-Sintez stated that the most tense quarterfinal was the matchup between Moscow and St. Petersburg, where Vostok won by a one-goal margin. “Before the game, we were shocked by the news of Adel Giniyatov's disqualification for violating the anti-doping protocol. Unfortunately, in this case, one can say that the person did not show due professionalism. Returning to the sports aspect: the semifinal also had one match that kept fans on edge until the very end. I mean the battle between Astrakhan and Volgograd, which was decided in favor of the hosts only in a penalty shootout. I note that Volgograd had two injured players — Stepan Andryukov and Vladimir Nezhinsky — which also affected the course of the match, as did the fact that Pyotr Fedotov, who confidently saved two penalties in the game, could not continue performing miracles in the post-match series," said Evgeny Yaroshchuk.

“We try to build on our own game”

Regarding the team, the helmsman emphasized that “we looked worthy in the semifinal as well, showing our game and winning 17–10, and in the final we never let the reins of the game slip from our hands.” Evgeny Kostrov was excellent in goal, providing confidence at the last line; one might joke that the spirit of Nikolai Maksimov in his best years entered Evgeny. “If we talk about the fact that we beat St. Petersburg and Volgograd on the way to the championship, and Moscow and Astrakhan on the way to the Cup, then we need to understand that we prepared for all the opposing teams, since during the regular championship there is an opportunity to study the competitors. Besides that, we try to build on our own game, build reliable defense and confident actions in power play situations at six on five," said Yaroshchuk.

The head coach of KOS-Sintez noted the good organization of the Final Six in Astrakhan: “This year I jumped into the championship water in Moscow after winning the Super Cup. In Volgograd, where we became champions, and now in Astrakhan. On one hand, I've already tasted the championship water there. When we swam in 2021 after winning the national championship. On the other hand, it was post-COVID time then. It's possible we jumped in wearing masks, not like now. Swimming in championship water is always pleasant.”

Vladimir Leonov: “The championship and three titles are pleasing for us”

In the flow of congratulations, Vladimir Leonov highlighted: “It is very pleasant that water polo has become the first team sport to return to the international arena. The championship and three titles are pleasing for us. It's great that this is held in the format of the Eurasian League. We prove our worth. We have a very strong water polo school. Thanks to this stability, we don't falter.” In other words, Vladimir Alexandrovich emphasized the trinity of the Kazan water polo players' success: a strong presence in the national team, the first to return to international competitions; victories of water polo professionals on the domestic stage; and the successes of the Kazan water polo school, of which he himself is a graduate.

If you think that after the season ends the water polo players will rest on their laurels, you are deeply mistaken. To remain in championship shape, constant work is needed, and from June 28 to July 7, the best players of KOS-Sintez will go to the national team training camp at Lake Krugloe, after which the “national team members” will live on the schedule of the Bremen Town Musicians from the song “We're Here for Just an Hour.” First, they go to Serbia for three test matches with the local national team, then they head to Montenegro for three more test matches with the hosts.

After that, plans for August include an international tournament in Montenegro with the participation of the local national team, plus Greece, China, and France. This is largely due to good relations with the Serbs (who have sent a whole cohort of coaches and managers into Russian water polo) and the Montenegrins, whose national team coach Dejan Savic is among the legends of Kazan's Sintez.