Children cared for by the city attended the Future Cup in Novosibirsk

Children cared for by the Novosibirsk Mayor's Department of Social Policy attended the first match of the Future Cup between the U18 and U20 Russian national teams.

"There are more than 500,000 citizens in Novosibirsk who need help and support from social services," noted Olga Potapova, Head of the Department. "These include orphans and children left without parental care, children who have committed offenses, and children with special needs. Our department provides these children with all the necessary social services. Social activities are also very important, a key focus of which is sport. Ice hockey is certainly one of the children's favourite sports to watch! Thanks to the invitation from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, our children not only witnessed this unforgettable event, but also had the opportunity to meet and interact with the players. Over the course of the tournament, more than 300 children under the care of our department will attend the tournament."

The tournament organisers and partners are focusing on social inclusion, consequently making ice hockey accessible to everyone who loves the sport. The highlight of the evening was the social gathering after the final buzzer: the children were invited to take to the ice where they could take photos with the competition's participants.