Players of Russian national hockey team awarded 'Honoured Master of Sport' titles

Titles of Honoured Masters of Sport were awarded to national team hockey players who did not have them. Chairman of the Russian State Sport Committee Vyacheslav Fetisov signed the appropriate decree on Saturday, May 11. The title of Honoured Coach of Russia was awarded to Vladimir Krikunov, one of the coaches of the national team. While congratulating the players with "silver" medals Fetisov stated: "We may be proud of you. The second place is a pledge of future wins. This does give hope to us." While commenting on the game of his charges the head coach of the team Boris Mikhailov stated, in particular, that he was in general satisfied with the last game. Though he complained that "we let through a counterattack of the Slovak team which resulted in our loss." According to him, "the third period was played actively by Russian players but the strongest triumphed. Today we failed to win, but there is a hope for tomorrow. The team wished to win but the first period exhausted the players." Maxim Sushinsky (a forward) also pointed out that the first period turned out unfavourably. He stated that "that resulted in the necessity to correct mistakes. And we lacked experience." According to Maxim Sokolov (a goalie), "the team has a character and a pivot." The chairman of the Russian Olympic Committee congratulated the national team and conveyed congratulations from Russian President Vladimir Putin to it.