The telegram reads, in part:
“Today we can say with confidence that the League has made it, bringing together a large, friendly team of like-minded people from many regions around the nation, putting some colourful dates on our calendar of major sports and public events. The Russian Hockey Festival for amateur teams, which was successfully held last May, is a perfect example of this.
It is important that you set such ambitious goals for yourselves, which are in very high demand. In addition to supporting the veteran movement, they involve developing children’s and youth sports and promoting the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle.”
The Russian Amateur Hockey League was created a year ago on the initiative of Vladimir Putin and Russian hockey veterans.