On Oct. 29-30 more than 100 sportsmen vied in the 2nd International Underwater Competition “Autumn Cup ‘05” in Kaniv, organized by the newly established Ukrainian Underwater Federation (UPF). “This is a record number of participants for this kind of competition,” The Day was told by UPF vice president Petro Pelahecha, one of the organizers. The elite nature of this type of sport is explained by two factors: expensive equipment (e.g., wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, and rifle cost roughly 500 euros) and the rather serious risks involved (you have to “work” in the water during the competition in temperatures that reach 0°C ).
The Kaniv Cup attracted the best sportsmen in the field from three countries: Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Among them were former Soviet, European, and world champions. Despite the tough competition, the Ukrainian competitors were unmatched and won all the prizes. The East-West team (Netishyn-Sumy) placed first, followed by Rusalonka (Kremenchuk) and Batyskaf-Ukraine (Kyiv), winning second and third place, respectively. East-West’s Oleksiy Hlazkov had the best individual score, catching some 19 kg of fish during the two- day competition.
UPF president Valeriy Olius announced that next year’s Autumn Cup ‘06 in Kaniv will be organized as a ranked competition and winners will be awarded titles. “This year a number of amateur sportsmen came to Kaniv from provincial towns and they showed great results. It is a matter of honor for our federation to duly assess their preparedness and help them reach a professional level.”
