Kazan, 12 February.
Today the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin met with KAMAZ-master Team - the winner of the rally-marathon “Dakar-2019”. The meeting took place as a part of Vladimir Putin’s working visit to Kazan, where the Presidium meeting of the State Council of Russia was held.
Together with Vladimir Putin, the President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov and the General Director of KAMAZ PTC Sergey Kogogin came to meet with KAMAZ-master sportsmen.
“I would like to congratulate all of you with your 16th win,” Vladimir Putin addressed to the athletes. - As you know, many people in Russia and abroad followed the rally. Since you are the undisputed leaders in this part of the programme, motor sport fans around the world closely followed it”.
The disqualification of Andrey Karginov’s crew during Dakar-2019 was unfair, Vladimir Putin said.
“At some time we were worried when one of the crews was disqualified. I do not think it was a fair decision,” he said during the conversation. According to the President, “most likely, this decision was made to just get one of the leaders out of the race.”
“But your competitors still have the chance to recoup, as we have the Silk Way Rally ahead. So, it is important to always stay in shape,” - warned Putin.
The athletes demonstrated to the Russian President the victory trophies of Dakar-2019 - the golden and silver Bedouins, and also showed a video about how the race was going. The explanations were given by the head of KAMAZ-master Team, Vladimir Chagin. On the world map, presented here, were marked countries, in which over their history KAMAZ-master Team competed in various off-road competitions. The athletes presented to the President a commemorating plaquette, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the team and the 50th anniversary of KAMAZ plant with a copy of this map made in metal.
Vladimir Chagin told about the growing interest of motorsport teams and car tourists to visit our country and conveyed to the President proposals for the development of the transport and tourism sector on the territory of the Russian Federation, based on ten-year experience in organizing transcontinental Silk Way Rally.
Very young athletes also took part in the meeting - karting drivers Bulat Akhmetov, Klim Nikonov and Azat Badretdinov. KAMAZ-master Team does a great job on supporting children's and youth motor sport, on patriotic education, orienting young people to receive technical education. The team is in charge of the Chelny karting center, where today more than 80 children are engaged. In addition, the team is involved in a large-scale project of renewal and construction of youth and educational infrastructure facilities in the city of Naberezhnye Chelny, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of KAMAZ.
Photo by the Presidential Press Service of the Russian Federation, the Presidential Press Service of the Republic of Tatarstan.
