The best athletes of 2025 honoured at the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra
The 30th anniversary ceremony honouring the winners of the "Sports Elite of the Year" contest for 2025 was held at the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra. On this day, winners of international contests, Olympians and Paralympians, sports veterans, coaches, mentors, representatives of sports federations and municipalities gathered on one stage. Dozens of athletes and industry specialists whose achievements strengthen Yugra’s position as one of the country’s leading sports regions received awards.
"Today, this hall has brought together those who, through their work, their drive to win and their dedication to their calling, have truly earned the high title of Yugra’s sports elite. Today, your victories are more than sporting achievements. You are doing major and serious work to unite our society. Each of your victories brings our common victory closer. Special words of gratitude go to veterans of the special military operation, who continue to serve the country and help their comrades find themselves in sport," said Governor of Yugra Ruslan Kukharuk.
The "Sports Elite of the Year" contest has been held in the region since 1996. Over three decades, it has become the main platform for recognising the achievements of Yugra’s athletes and industry specialists. It is where the results of the sporting year are summed up and those whose results shape Yugra’s reputation as one of the country’s leading sports regions are honoured.
The ceremony was hosted by well-known sports commentator and TV presenter Dmitry Guberniev. Traditionally, the event was opened by the winners of the "Golden Reserve of Yugra Sport" nomination. Thirty-one young athletes from the municipalities of the district took to the stage: Masters of Sport, Candidate Masters of Sport and winners of major contests.
Among the participants in the "Golden Reserve" was Alisa Novikova, a muay thai athlete from Surgut:
"I am incredibly proud of myself and of my achievements. I am proud of my coach, who put so much effort into me, and grateful to my parents for their support. It is a great honour for me to be here today."
During the ceremony, state and regional awards were presented for contributions to the development of physical culture and sport. Coaches, heads of sports organisations, representatives of federations and industry specialists who have worked for many years to develop sport in Yugra received honorary titles and awards.
A special place in the programme was given to honouring athletes and coaches who have achieved strong results on the national and international stage. The winners included representatives of Olympic, Paralympic, Deaflympic, non-Olympic and national sports.
Athletes from the Yugra hockey club, which won the All-Russian Hockey League Champion’s Cup this season, were also honoured. Club representatives received honorary awards from the Governor of Yugra for their contribution to the development of sport and for the team’s outstanding results.
"Excellent emotions, excellent impressions. Thanks to the team, the whole region, the support of the leadership and our fans, we managed to achieve this victory," said Alexander Perov.
The winners of the "Sports Elite of the Year" contest included the region’s best athletes, coaches, teams, sports federations, municipalities, educational organisations and volunteers. Among the winners were Olympic freestyle wrestling champion Zaurbek Sidakov, International Master of Sport in canoe slalom Pavel Kotov, Honoured Coach of Russia Viktor Rozhkov and biathlete Viktoria Metelya, who was named "Breakthrough of the Year".
Renowned Russian athletes took part in the ceremony. They included Olympic taekwondo champion Maxim Khramtsov.
"It has always been important to me that our region gives due recognition to athletes’ results. When I was an active athlete, I always came to this ceremony with pleasure and waited for the results of the year. Last year, I received an award as Athlete of the Year, and today I am already taking part in the awards ceremony myself. This is a new stage. Such events are truly important because they motivate athletes to move forward and achieve new results," Maxim Khramtsov noted.
The programme also paid attention to adaptive sports athletes, representatives of northern all-around events, sports veterans and participants in the special military operation. In the "Heroes of Our Time" nomination, awards were presented to Yugra residents who, after returning to peaceful life, continue to achieve success in sport and help develop the adaptive sports area in the region.
According to Artyom Istomin, Head Coach of the Yugra biathlon team, such ceremonies emphasise the importance of sport not only as a contest for results.
"The Sports Elite is about honouring Yugra’s leading athletes. These are not just people who go to the start line and compete. They are opinion leaders and an example for young people. Today, we are honouring the best athletes of the region, and of course you feel special pride when your own trainees are among them," Artyom Istomin said.
It is symbolic that the anniversary ceremony was held at the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra, a place that tells the story of the region’s achievements and the people whose successes shape its present and future.
Over 30 years, the "Sports Elite of the Year" contest has become more than an annual summing-up of results. It has turned into a chronicle of the region’s sporting achievements, reflecting thousands of victories, records and the lives of people who glorify Yugra at the country’s and the world’s largest sports venues. Today, this history is being continued by new generations of athletes, for whom appearing on the Sports Elite stage becomes another step towards future victories.
Read news about the National Centre RUSSIA in Yugra on its official VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, MAX and Telegram accounts.
The All-Russian classical music marathon "Cantata. Russia" will be held in Moscow and regions across the country on 12 June, Russia Day.
The large-scale event will be held on Family, Love and Fidelity Day, 8 July, at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The meeting focused on generating concrete proposals and collaboratively developing initiatives.
