Oshmyany - town by almost 17 thousand people. He is almost three times closer to Vilnius than to Minsk. Most of all, the district center is known for its meat processing plant, but it turns out that it is a practically unofficial capital of hockey in Belarus. Here the winter sport is popular since the 1970s. Local chasing the washer on the local lakes and the river, they made hockey shields from football equipment and put on her knees - with an outfit in those years it was not easy. Cancellation of the Championships of the Oshmyans are not terrible: people at voluntary principles and without the help of officials are arranged hockey tournaments, they themselves clean the ice and buy awards for amateur athletes. This story is about how in a small town, people are self-organization thanks to the love of sports.
In the January weekend on a hockey playground in Oshmena, three amateur teams were gathered - Minsk "Iron" and "Varyag", as well as local - "Oshmyany". Box outdoors, hot tea, balls and families - such a lamp atmosphere was created here in this weekend. It is this "Winter Classic in Oshmyansky" it is held in the city for the third time, previously local hockey players participated in the Golden Washer and other competitions.
How did it all start? Minsk residents with Oshmyansky roots just sat in the bath and said: "Will we play?" And rushed.
- In the Oshmen hockey was always. I live here since 1971 and remember that people played. This microdistrict has not yet been - alone collective farm fields. The river flows here - on it and played. And on a small lake, where you usually drove cows on a watering, people played in winter how much I remember. It was always kept on lovers, then the Golden Washer was held, and in recent years there were problems, "says Alexander, one of the organizers of the local tournament.
Both of his son playing the Minsk "Iron", the eldest lives in Minsk, and the younger - in Oshmyans. Since the guys hit the team, and started open air tournaments in the district center.
"Yes, they usually play on Minsk-arena and" Chizhovka-arena ", but here they have the opportunity to remember childhood, ice and an outdoor box - for this and a tournament is held," he says.
Frosts slept, keep open ice in a normal condition problematic. Therefore, the locals duty on duty and replaced each other at night to pour ice from the hose and brushing it with shovels. Despite this, Alexander says that it is easy to organize a tournament, because there are always hockey lovers.
- The problem is one - to catch the weather. Everything else, believe me, is not so important. Even those who work, take turns at night pour ice. Two-three days per playground could not be allowed to save the ice. Adult men were on duty at half an hour - who could. The main thing is that there is a desire, because no one is waiting for any help: neither of the district executives, nor from anyone, - argued a local resident.
For many years now, it was built in the 1980s. With housing and communal services, people repair boards and lighting. But the additional lights of hockey players bought themselves.
- Our Olympic Sports are not particularly supported by the state, and what do we want from the courtyard hockey? - Alexander asks the question. - Minkyan and Oshmyans have a desire - this is the main thing, so everything turns out. Minsk residents bring a gift to the Oshmyans every year, usually these are new grids per gate, because ours are rushing: the defector constantly plays.
While we speak Alexander, leading (he is a goalkeeper) announces the beginning of the tournament. Thanks players and guests and reminds that the "Iron" team became the recorder of travel from Minsk. He provides the word "director of the rink" - the chief organizer of the event - Peter Mikhailovich. He says he lives here for days and jokingly hopes that his wife did not drive him out of the house.
Peter Mikhailovich thanks teams who play on the "Oshmyan Based Earth", represents the participants of the tournament and wishes to all the longevity in the game of hockey. Sounds of the knocking clubs about the ice drown the applause: the audience gathered with several dozen.
- The most important thing is the game without injury, and let the strongest wins, "Peter Mikhailovich declares, and then tells Onlin, that the fight does not happen in this tournament: people come to talk and calmly play. By the way, "the main on the rope" is following the weather forecast every half an hour.
The game regulations are the same as in the professional leagues - three periods of 20 minutes. There is a referee, everything is as expected. After the completion of the tournament, the players distribute Cups and diplomas.
The most young tournament player is Alexei - 17 years old, the age itself - 53. Gennady fades that his junior colleague on hockey - 52-year-old Grigory - another young man, and tells what plays a team with two sons.
- How much do we live, so much play! - He says during a break. - Only if the weather is not, it's hard for us - then we go to Lida and youth on rollers - 100 km there and 100 back. We are waiting for when they build in an islet. And so I go round the clock, clean, we buy light bulbs - the authorities do not want to help. The ice is good here, but the weather led, "he says.
The game is observed two veterans of local hockey. The last time they played here two years ago, now the participation in tournaments does not allow health, and "young people are not allowed," men joke.
"We started playing in 1977," recalls one of them. - Started on the lake, cleared the ice and played, later there were sterns. The form was, allocated DPO "Vintage" - it was big, so we were driving on your knees and used football flaps. The last sometimes was embedded by construction rubber.
In the 1980s, a box appeared in the quarter of the builders, where the amateur tournament is held now. She was demolished, and after a new time later set. Men remember that earlier brick locker rooms and benches for spare players were here, but then for some reason they were demolished.
"We collected the tournament with our HTZU, then the" golden washer "was - we went to Grodno. In 1983, when I studied in SPU, we played on the tournament in Oshmyans: there was a box, they themselves poured the ice, the wheels were treated - black came home, only the teeth glistened! Then we became the second. In 1984 they played in the tournament in Grodno, and in the next, graduation year became champions. In general, tournaments were every year - everyone spent themselves. And in Smorgon played, and in Korelichi - throughout the Grodno region, they say.
Local hockey veterans remember how in the summer they themselves painted asphalt white paint so that the surface of the site is not deformed. They say that they are doing the same now.
- What were the problems in 1979, so remained. All on their own. The boards are already rotten, everything falls apart. All your money, because I want to play. At the meeting of the Allbalorussky, so tell me! - Men say.
Now they dream of organizing a veteran tournament.
In general, eight amateur teams wanted to arrive at the local championship in Oshmena - from Grodno, Ostrovka and other cities. But so many games, the organizers say, to spend unreal one day, and the weather led. But for the organization of the tournament, it is not necessary to influence as official championships, there are enough 500-600 rubles for the Oshmyansky "Winter Classics" - participants and non-indifferent citizens are usually discounted.
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