Russian Popular Sports Club Marks 80th Establishment Anniversary

Moscow has started celebrating the 80th establishment anniversary of TsSKA, Russian acronym for the Central Sports Club of the Russian Army, one of the country's most popular sports clubs.

The club, which is subordinate to the Defence Ministry, has trained more top-class athletes than any other sporting club of the country. TsSKA athletes have won 1,022 Olympic medals, 452 gold medals among them, and over 4,000 medals at world and European championships, including 2,300 gold ones. TsSKA has trained more than 10,000 champions of the then USSR and Russia.

More than 250,000 athletes have undergone training in more than 20 kinds of sport in the TsSKA club over the 80 years of its existence.

TsSKA comprises more than 20 teams, 11 Olympic reserve schools and 6 centres for kids.

President Vladimir Putin has forwarded a message to officers, athletes, veterans and fans of TsSKA, thanking the club for a heavy contribution to the development of sports in Russia.