A breakout session for physical education teachers was held at Volga Region University as part of the August Republican Conference of Education and Science Professionals. The meeting focused on the development of a new sport in the Republic of Tatarstan: teqball, which combines elements of football and table tennis.
Tatarstan Minister of Education and Science Ilsur Khadiullin welcomed the participants. He noted that for the first time in the history of the August Conference, a separate section for physical education teachers was organized.
"Physical education teachers are the backbone of any school, whether urban or rural, because thanks to them, the spirit of competition and health permeates throughout Tatarstan. Currently, there are approximately two thousand physical education teachers in our republic, including both young and more experienced educators. Every year, the physical education curriculum is updated, and new modules are added. We constantly see these changes reflected in the results of your work, as the participation of children in physical activity, sports, and health improvement increases. Currently, 71 percent of children participate in sports. Furthermore, all schools in Tatarstan have sports clubs. Currently, 511,000 children in the republic, and their parents turn to physical education teachers to instill in their charges a spirit of patriotism," emphasized Ilsur Khadiullin.
At the end of his address, the Minister of Education and Science of Tatarstan presented letters of gratitude to physical education teachers who contributed to the development of sport. Khalil Shaikhutdinov, First Deputy Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, also delivered a welcoming speech.
"Physical education teachers have always been the foundation of Soviet and Russian sport. Today, 140 sports are actively developing in Tatarstan, with 164 sports schools and over 12,000 sports facilities. For many athletes, their first love is their physical education teachers. And thanks to the Rais of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, sport is at the forefront of our republic. He understands that sport shapes the individual. We have specially gathered you at Volga Region University—here, if necessary, you can receive additional education," emphasized Khalil Shaikhutdinov.
During the main part of the meeting, Artur Kutuyev, representative of the International Teqball Federation in Russia, spoke about the history of teqball and its rules. He noted that the sport originated in Hungary in 2014 but gained popularity during the 2018 FIFA World Cup. It was Russia that introduced teqball to the general public.
"While organizing the championship, we were thinking about how to entertain the crowd while they waited for the matches. At the time, I was studying various sports, and teqball was one of them. We liked the game, so we decided to install teqball tables and set up an official FIFA zone where guests from all over the world could learn about the sport," said Artur Kutuyev, describing the origins of teqball in Russia.
He also emphasized that Kazan's Rubin football club was one of the first to acquire a teqball table and introduce the game into its training. Zenit-Kazan volleyball club is also following suit, having also incorporated teqball into its athletes' training.
During the meeting, physical education teachers not only learned the rules of teqball from Artur Kutuyev but also watched a live game played by professionals on the stage of the Volga Region University concert hall. Several volunteers were also able to participate and experience the intricacies of this dynamic sport in a two-on-two competition.
Future plans were also outlined at the meeting: Aidar Kadyrov, Head of the Sports Reserve Training Sector at the Ministry of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, presented a plan for the implementation of measures to develop teqball in Tatarstan.
Adelia Pavlova, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and Digital Transformation at Volga Region University, addressed the meeting. She spoke about the history and infrastructure of Volga Region University, as well as opportunities for advanced training and retraining at the Institute of Continuing Education. She also noted that teqball is an interesting sport for development at Volga Region University.
"Since football is one of the areas we're seriously developing, we're happy to leverage Rubin's experience in integrating teqball into our training process. This sport also generates scientific interest in terms of conducting research in sports physiology and biomechanics, as all parts of the body are involved during the game. Furthermore, one area for further development could be its integration into adaptive physical rehabilitation, which plays an important role at Volga Region University," said Adelia Pavlova.
Text: Adelina Khramova
Photo: Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan
