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Oleg Melnichenko met with Honored Masters of Sport of the USSR Aleksei Kasatonov, Aleksandr Yakushev, Aleksandr Kozhevnikov, and Andrei Kovalenko.
Representatives of the special unit "Alpha," in which Valery Kanakin served for 35 years, also participated in the discussion about the prospects of the hockey tournament in memory of the Penza Oblast native and Hero of Russia.
The regional leader thanked all involved for supporting the organization of the open competitions among youth teams.
"Your participation gives our initiative special status," emphasized Oleg Melnichenko. "Holding this tournament will serve as an excellent educational moment not only for Penza's youth but also for our guests from other regions."
The Governor noted that Penza Oblast is a hockey region with strong traditions, having served for many years as a talent pool for Soviet and Russian sports.
"It is a great honor for us to support the tournament in memory of a Hero of Russia," stated two-time Olympic hockey champion Aleksei Kasatonov. "During challenging times for the country, it is especially important to remember those who dedicated their lives to serving the Motherland. This is a crucial aspect of patriotic education for the younger generation. The President himself set this task for us when he began systematically playing hockey. He said – go to the regions, promote sports, engage with youth. Later, the Night Hockey League was created so that not only children but also their fathers and grandfathers could take to the ice, encouraging people to pursue activity and a healthy lifestyle."
He also commended the high level of sports infrastructure developed in Penza Oblast, which fosters not only professional sports but also youth, amateur, and adaptive sports. In February, in collaboration with the "Defenders of the Fatherland" Foundation, a sledge hockey team was established to support SMO veterans with combat injuries, and in November, "Diesel-Sledge" players participated in the Cup of Courage in Moscow.
"Thank you for supporting our initiative; the tournament in memory of Valery Vladimirovich Kanakin will become the foundation for our subsequent efforts to immortalize his memory," Oleg Melnichenko emphasized to the meeting participants. "We will continue working, and I believe this beginning is very promising."
"Valery Vladimirovich deserves to be remembered by new generations," noted the representative from the "Alpha" unit. "He rose from a regular officer to a leadership position, but even as a leader, he always stayed close to his fighters. I knew him since 1991; he was a wonderful person – honest, courageous, decent, and devoted to his country. I will inform the entire personnel about the events in his honor. It is very important to us that our commander is remembered."
As a memento of the match to be played in support of the tournament by the "Legends of Hockey" and "Dynamo-Alpha" teams on the ice of "Diesel Arena," the hockey players presented the Governor with a game jersey bearing the number 58.