Players and coaching staff of the Gazprom-Ugra futsal club went on a visit to the wards of the Bereginya children’s home center in Pionersky. The friendship of athletes and children without parental care began a few years ago and each meeting becomes a holiday for toddlers and teenagers.

Our players visited the Bereginya Center for the first time in 2016, since then they have been here more than once, but more often children themselves come to Yugorsk at the invitation of the club. Last week, Bereginya wards also came to support the team for the first round matches of the Russian Super League against the FC Ukhta.

Anastasia TIMOFEEVA, a pupil of the Sovetsky district social and rehabilitation center for minors:

• I really like this sport! I talked with the club goalkeeper Zviad Kupatadze, I needed his advice. He told me that the goalkeeper is a very important link, a good goalkeeper is half the team. This is a very valuable conversation for me, very grateful for such an opportunity. I am very good at standing on goal and I would like to become a goalkeeper in the future if a female futsal team appears.

During a visit to Bereginia, athletes with children were one creative team. While some were engaged in the manufacture of magnets, others were dancing or did soap making. Children conducted a tour for guests. They showed how they live, told what they are fond of. Do not forget about autographs.

Renat SHAKIROV, player of the FC Gazprom-UGRA:

• We had a master class in making soap. It is a very pleasant, sincere atmosphere with very sincere children.

Vladimir KOLESNIKOV, head coach of the club:

• Such meetings have already become a good tradition and we gladly took the opportunity to visit the children. Very sincerely, from the heart we gave them gifts, distributing them by age, so as not to deprive anyone. Such meetings are always beneficial for children, and it is also very important for us to communicate with children, this is a good practice.

The players admitted that they did not consider gifts the main purpose of the visits. The main thing is attention. Having met with children a few years ago, guests were interested in how the pupils of Beregini live today.

Over the past ten years, not a single child has left this place for an orphanage. They returned either to parents who embarked on the path of correction, or to new families. And all this thanks to the efforts of the team, volunteers and mentors. Which the players of the Gazprom-UGRA club have the right to call themselves.