Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: KAMAZ – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The open cross-country skiing championship was held in Pribrezhny City Park as part of the 2026 KAMAZ PJSC Spartakiad. The company's Trade Union organized this large-scale sporting event, which attracted approximately 300 participants.
This year, the ski races coincided with three significant events: the 50th anniversary of the first KAMAZ truck, the 55th anniversary of the auto giant's trade union, and the 400th anniversary of the founding of Naberezhnye Chelny. Participants extended far beyond the city and the auto giant. Representatives of KAMAZ subsidiaries—Nefaz PJSC, TZA PJSC, Avtosvet LLC (an OAT Group company in Dimitrovgrad)—participated in the competition, as well as members of the Naberezhnye Chelny Trade Union Coordinating Council and employees of the Education Trade Union.
Ildar Shamilov, Chairman of the KAMAZ Trade Union, delivered a welcoming speech. He emphasized that these competitions have become a good tradition uniting teams from various companies, noted the benefits of sport, and wished everyone good luck on the track.
"We participate in the championship every year. We started with two or three people, and today our team has ten members. Skiing has significantly developed at our company: we have a coach and regular training. Denis Shelkoplyas, a holder of numerous titles, works at NEFAZ and trains our guys. Today, we're competing with a renewed lineup: experienced racers have been joined by newcomers. We arrived with a fighting spirit!" commented Larisa Zagitova, Deputy Chair of the NEFAZ Trade Union.
"This is my third year in a row. And I've placed second every time. I'm in fighting spirit! There are some serious, technically skilled competitors here, but we're trying to keep up," shared Vyacheslav Sharonov, an employee of Avtosvet. Incidentally, at the 2026 meet, Vyacheslav again finished among the top three in his age group, this time in third place.
"This is my fourth time participating in the championship, competing in the 50-weight category. I missed out last year, but I'm back this year. I love skiing!" said Almira Imamova, a crane operator at PAO TZA. The representative of this KAMAZ subsidiary placed second.
The main championship program included individual and team competitions. Participants competed in four age groups: 18-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50 and older. The women in the 18-29 age category were the first to take to the ski tracks. The races were spectacular and emotional.
While the adults competed for seconds, entertainers worked for the children. Rustam Gatin's field kitchen kept everyone warm – buckwheat porridge with meat and hot tea were a huge hit.
The competition concluded with an awards ceremony. The winners and runners-up received well-deserved medals and certificates from the KAMAZ Trade Union.
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