24.04.2008 // Information Department of Leningrad NPP

The finals of the volleyball championship of Russia in «B» league have ended in the victory of «Dinamo-Leningradskay Oblast» (Sosnovy Bor), sponosred by Rosenergoatom Concern

Thus, the forecasts have come true: «Dinamo-LO» has won the right to play in the «A» league next year.

The past week (Apr 14–20 2008) was a real holiday for volleyball fans from Sosnovy Bor. It was the third time this year that they could watch big volleyball on the field of their native «Enegetik» sports and culture complex. But it was the first time that they hosted the finals.

To remind, the finals consisted of two rounds and were conducted in the native cities of the finalist teams. The finalists of the European zone were Dinamo-LO (Sosnovy Bor), SGAFK-Fenix (Smolensk) and TNK-VR (Orenburg), the finalists of the Siberia-Far East zone were Zvezda Yugry (Surgut), Vostok (Kyzyl) and DUSSh-Samotlor-2 (Nizhnevartovsk).

The «A» league matches will start in Oct 2008 and will last till Apr 2009. The premier league consists of 12 teams from Kaliningrad to Krasnoyarsk. Each team plays home and guest matches with all of its rivals. So, our fans will see the 11 strongest volleyball teams of Russia.

The first round of the «B» league finals took place in Surgut in late Mar. Our team played brilliantly and beat all of its rivals. The Sosnovy Bor round was decisive.

During the closing ceremony the deputy director of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant N.Kirillov said, on behalf of the general sponsor, and his 6,000-strong staff: «We believed in you! Thank you for justifying our expectations!»

The member of the Federation Council G. Naginsky presented the best players Valentin Strelchuk from Dinamo-LO and Aleksey Ustinenko from TNK-VR (Orenburg) with special prizes. By the way, TNK-VR has also won the right to play in «A» league.

The head of Sosnovy Bor municipal unit V. Nekrasov presented each team with clocks bearing the symbol of the city. The chief referee of the finals N.Shatunov and the inspector of the matches, the member of the Directorate of the Volleyball Championship of Russia S.Vinogradsky also received presents.

«The finals were perfectly organized and all the finalists played greatly,» one of the main organizers of the tournament, referee Y. Turin (from the Electric Department of Leningrad NPP) said. «True, there was no intrigue as Dinamo-LO was much stronger than its rivals but all the teams played beautifully and it was a real pleasure to watch their play.»

The referees pointed out the hospitality of Sosnovy Bor and were unanimous that the «Energetik» complex was able to host sports events of the highest international level.

So, we hope that next year we will see big interesting sports battles. See you soon, Dimano — now in «A» league!.

The «A» league matches will start in Oct 2008 and will last till Apr 2009. The premier league consists of 12 teams from Kaliningrad to Krasnoyarsk. Each team plays home and guest matches with all of its rivals. So, our fans will see the 11 strongest volleyball teams of Russia.