SPORT The Times Thursday, July 17, 2014 11 Dinamo ready New mid-season contracts to test the ice National hockey team leaders — By Dmitry Krymov Mikhail Grabovsky and Andrey HC Dinamo Minsk will play a friendly match with HC SKA St. Kostitsyn — have already chosen Petersburg The meeting of the two clubs, the clubs to continue their career: which starts preparations of the new Grabovsky remains with the NHL season of the Kontinental Hockey League, will take place at the Minsk- (playing for New York Highlanders) Arena on July, 26th. This match will become the first in the list of games while Kostitsyn the senior signs a which are included in the preparatory plans of the Belarusian team. contract with his former KHL club On July, 27th the Minsk players — will go to the Czech city of Kravare, where they will train till August, 7th. By Igor Grishin world of those years: The Montreal The stage will include two matches Canadiens. Since 2008/09, he has with Slovan Bratislava and HC Olo- Mikhail Grabovsky has signed played for Toronto Maple Leafs, but mouc. Then, from August, 15th till a four year contract with the High- unexpectedly lost that job: his con- August, 17th, they will be back on the landers which will bring him around tract with the club was supposed ice of the Minsk-Arena for the tradi- $20m. On July 1st, the Belarusian to last for another four years but, tional Memorial Tour- hockey player became a free agent in mid-summer of 2013, directors nament, in which, besides Dinamo in the NHL, after his yearlong con- decided to stop buy out his contract Minsk, HC Sochi, the champion of tract with the Washington Capitals (preliminary putting the Belaru- Neman , and also a ended. Mikhail played for the US sian hockey players on a waiver). team of Belarusian clubs will take part. club during the 2013/14 season, en- No NHL team immediately invited The Cup of Latvian Railways in joying an annual salary of $3m. He Mikhail to join, while his agent — will become the last stage of took part in 58 matches for Wash- Harry Gristin — began searching preparation of the Dinamo team for ington — earning 35 (13+22) bom- for ways for Grabovsky to continue the new KHL season. bardier points and demonstrating his career. Meanwhile, the Belaru- one of the best productivity results sian had no wish to part with the ALEXANDER STADUB among his partners: +6. A series of NHL and move to the KHL. While Mikhail Grabovsky, one of leaders of the national team Girls show injuries prevented the forward from playing for Washington, he had in the NHL Eastern Conference’s reversed. Andrey concluded his first playing in the championship to his managed to renew his overall record capital division. Its history began in contract with Traktor in September best ability, while his club failed to figures (among all Belarusian hock- 1972 and, since then, the team has 2012 and decided to remain with the some muscle enter the play-offs. The foreign me- ey players who have performed for won the Stanley Cup four times (last Chelyabinsk team for another year By Yegor Glebov dia believed that Grabovsky and the NHL) regarding the number of time, in the 1982/83 season). afterwards and won a silver medal Washington shared a mutual inter- scored goals (107) and bombardier Belarusian forward, Andrey Ko- at the KHL 2012/13 championship. Belarusians win three medals, est in further co-operation, but lit- scores under the ‘goal-feed’ system - stitsyn’s signing of a new year long He has spent two years with Traktor one gold and two bronze at the tle information was disclosed about 252 (107+145). At present, Toronto contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk now — taking part in 122 matches prestigious Spanish Grand Prix their talks. continues paying compensation (KHL) has become a surprise. After and winning 62 (29+33) bombar- for Freestyle Wrestling Grabovsky has played eight to Grabovsky for its prescheduled the last championship ended, the dier points. In addition, Andrey has seasons in the NHL, taking part in buyout. team’s heads openly said that An- received 124 penalty minutes and 425 matches. He made his debut in Grabovsky’s new club — the drey would have to leave the line- demonstrated the +6 productivity 2006/07, in the strongest club of the New York Highlanders — performs up, but eventually, the decision was result. Youth wins awards Wimbledon grass might By Yegor Glebov not be right for everyone Belarusian boxers and his signature doubles, which was windsurfers medal at less unpredictable. In recent times, Vasilisa Marzalyuk the European Youth Mirnyi has continued searching for Leader of the national team of Championships held in the best partner and it seems Yu- Belarus, Vasilisa Marzalyuk, became Keszthely (Hungary) and zhny is not the best choice. How- the winner of the tournament in Çeşme (Turkey) ever, the beginning of the hard Madrid in the 75kg category. During At the European Boxing Tour- season looked convenient for the her competitions, she beat German, nament, held in Keszthely, in Hun- both tennis players, and it’s almost Maria Selmaier and Hungarian, Janet gary, the best result among Belaru- impossible to choose a partner in Nemec. In the final, the Belarusian sians was shown by Alexey Aliforov, mid-season, so probably, they will did not give any chance of success who won a silver medal in the 59kg have to stay together for a while. to the Russian competitor, Alena category. His teammate, Ruslan Fo- Meanwhile, a young Belarusian Starodubtseva. mchenko (43kg) took the bronze. tennis player, Andrey Vasilevsky, In 53kg group, two representa- In the Turkish town of Çeşme, has won an international tourna- tives of Belarus, Irina Kurochkina and the European Windsurfing Cham- ment in Astana. In his decisive Nadezhda Shushko, fought. The latter pionship brought Belarus two silver singles, the 23 year old Belarusian defeated Laura Mertens from Ger- medals in RS:X class. Anastasiya defeated Kazakhstan’s Denis Yev- many, while Kurochkina was strong- Valkevich appeared on the second seev in two sets. In the doubles, er than the host of the tournament, step of the pedestal for the under Vasilevsky joined another Belaru- Yevgeniya Bustavad. In all the previ- Max Mirnyi and Hao-Ching Chan 21s, with her 148 points from the sian, Yaroslav Shilo, in reaching the ous matches, Nadezhda Shushko has eight races held. With 45 points By Igor Leshin Our sportsmen won the 2012 final match, which they lost to the been stronger; however, Irina Kuro- more, first place went to the French Olympic medals here and, in 1998, Russian-Uzbek duo of Fufygin and chkina triumphed on the Madrid mat athlete, Jeanne Dantes. Artem Max Mirnyi fails to win the Mirnyi won the England Open Shofaiziyev. in their persistent duel. Having lost in Dzhavadov gained the Belarusian Wimbledon Tournament. Championship’s mixed doubles This was Vasilevsky’s first win in the semi-final to Johanna Mattsson team’s second silver at the cham- In the final of the mixed- event (pairing Serena Williams). an International Tennis Federation from , in a duel for 3rd place, pionships among youngsters, with doubles, the Belarusian, This year, London has been singles tournament. In doubles, he the Belarusian defeated Marina Rue- 28 points. Gold was taken by the performing with Taiwan’s unfriendly for Mirnyi and Aza- has won 16 times so far. The player da from Spain. 15 year old Polish athlete, Rado- Hao-Ching Chan, finds no renko though. Victoria, who’s been occupies the 747th position in the At the beginning of the tourna- slav Furmansky. One more Belaru- answers for Nenad Zimonjić recovering after trauma, lost to world ranking, with Belarusian ment, Anastasiya Guchok (60kg) sian representative, Nikita Tsirkun and Samantha Stosur the world’s 45th seed, Bojana Jo- Vladimir Ignatik enjoying the best conceded to the representative of Rus- reached a laudable 12 place in the Actually, Wimbledon is not so vanovski, in the second round — a place in the singles at 218th. In the sia, Svetlana Lipatova. Having passed same category. In total, about 230 bad for Belarusian tennis players, repetition of last year’s undistin- doubles, the veteran of Belarusian through consolatory stage, Guchok athletes from 30 countries took part as our very own Victoria Azarenko guished result. Mirny also failed to tennis, Max Mirnyi, occupies 21st won bronze, breaking the resistance in the challenging championship. said, after leaving the tournament. demonstrate any bright results in place, matching Mikhail Yuzhny. of the American, Sally Roberts.