Journalists will decide the best player during the Moscow Open 2014!
As a part of the two-days table-hockey feast apart from the main event - major international tournament "Moscow Open 2014" - a competition between the journalists will be held. By the opinion of the vice-president of the RTHF Alexander Shapiro, such a tournament will improve image of the sport among the media. Information on the tournament will appear on the internet-portal www.sovsport.ru
Many well-known Russian journalists agreed to take part in the competition.
The tournament begins at 13.00 on March 16th.
[March 13, 2014] Alexey Titov
"Sovetsky Sport" is an informational partner of Moscow Open 2014!
A popular newspaper "Sovetsky Sport" became an informational partner of the coming major international tournament Moscow Open 2014, a part of the "Big Six" of the ITHF World Tour. This was a result of talks of RTHF vice-president Alexander Shapiro with the editors of the newspaper. Also, another meeting will take place soon, where the collaboration between "Sovetsky Sport" and RTHF will be discussed. The popular sports edition is interested in performing regular common tournaments. This will help advertise our favorite sport in media.
We would like to add that in July "Sovetsky Sport" celebrates its 90-year jubilee, and at the date a table hockey tournament is planned, involving professional, amateur players, and journalists. Information on Moscow Open 2014 results would be promptly published on the internet-portal www.sovsport.ru in the beginning of the next week.
RTHF thanks Alexander Shapiro for continuing his work for development of table hockey. We are sure that "Sovetsky Sport" will promote table hockey in the eyes of sports fans.
Alexey Titov, President of RTHF
[February 10, 2014] Alexey Titov
The new regulations of the Moscow Open-2014 is approved!
After prolonged discussions and consultations the organizing committee of MO-2014 introduced corrections into the tournament regulations. According to the new regulations, the top 16 WR players and main pretenders for the overall victory will start they table-hockey marathon on the first day of the tournament from the semifinal groups.
One more innovation of the MO-2014 formula would be the "final groups" of eight players, that will decide the seeding numbers for the play-offs. The main round of the tournament, on the second day, will be a new word in the history of the table hockey, as it was announced before. 64 participants of the full-scale play-off series to 4 victories, is what professional table hockey should be, in opinion of the organizing committee leader, Alexey Titov.
After approval of the regulations, the corresponding corrections were introduced into the schedule of the Moscow Open 2014 tournament. The organizing committee asks all participants to familiarize themselves in advance with the schedule of the two-days World Tour stage (15-16 March 2014) and pass the accreditation (confirming registration) on the tournament date in time.
Along with the corrected regulations, the prize fund of the Moscow Open 2014 was approved. 64 players promoted to the second day will divide the overall prize money of 299900 roubles (about 6000 Euro). Besides prize money the organizing committee prepares multiple additional prizes and souvenirs for all participants of the tournament. The best three players of MO-2014 will be rewarded with beautiful bowls with MO-2014 logo, and best eight players will get silver plates. Three best players in each category (juniors, veterans, women) will also get special bowls.
The overall budget of the Moscow Open 2014 is estimated to exceed 1 million roubles (about 30 000 USD).
[February 9, 2014] Alexey Titov
New STIGA games for Moscow Open 2014!
One month before the World Tour "Big Six" tournament - Moscow Open 2014 - the organizing committee presents the new design of the STIGA Play-Off games, available for purchase in the new season. The main difference of the new game is the Moscow Open 2014 logo on the ice! According to the agreement with the official dealer of STIGA in Russia and general partner of RTHF, the Sportmaster company, the surface of all games sold in Russian Federaion shows not only the easily recognizable Moscow Open logo, but also the well-known RTHF logo and signs of the main Russian tournaments: Russian Championship and Cup of Russia.
Still the organizers of the Moscow part of the World Tour are going to surprize the participants not only with the new design of the ice. All 100 games purchased for the tournament will pass an extraordinary improvement procedure. It includes not only usual replacement of the goal cups with the fabric bags, but also precise "tuning" of each game, to repair any production defects, complete removal and gluing of the ice providing maximum flatness of the surface.
The organizing committee of Moscow Open 2014 hopes the tuning of the games done by the best specialists in the field will make the tournament more lively, provides the opportunity to show the most complicated tricks for all plastic puck' masters, and will get only best comments from all participants!
[November 15, 2013] Alexey Titov
Official press-release of Moscow Open 2014.
Moscow Open is an elite tournament of the ITHF World Table Hockey Tour "Big Six" series, one of the most popular, prestigeous and high-rated tournaments in the table hockey history.
First international tournament in Moscow was held in 2001. Till 2012 the WTHT stage was called "Moscow Cup", but since 2013 the tournament underwent a re-branding and now is held as "Moscow Open". A new, easily recognizable, logo of the event created by a well-known designer Anton Gladkoborodov marks a new concept of the WTHT stage.
For the years of realization of the WTHT stage in Moscow the tournament gained high reputation and the extraordinary efforts of the organizers were always highly appreciated by participants from many countries. The new team of organizers of Moscow Open makes their best to keep all the best features of the Moscow Cup's.
The highest priority of the Moscow Open 2014 organizers is the top-level organization of the tournament precisely following the schedule and all rules and regulations of ITHF. The high prize money, usual for the Moscow Cup's, are mandatory for the tournament.
At the same time we are going to stick to the refusal of "buying stars" for the tournament. All participants of Moscow Open 2014 will start with the same initial conditions, and the prize money would be distributed between all participants making through to the second "final" day of the tournament, according to their achievements and the "new prize list".
Moscow Open is a tournament claiming table hockey to be a "professional" kind of sports with all corresponding attributes, such as high-quality preparation of the games, prize money, coverage by main TV channels and other mass-media. At the same time, Moscow Open is a unique possibility for beginners to take part in a tournament together with the top table hockey players, leaders of the World Ranking.
Moscow Open 2014 will be held in two days, March 15-16, in a modern sports complex in the South-Western part of Moscow. The hall hosted Moscow Open 2013 and stages of the Russian Championships, and proved to provide good illumination and ventilation, comfortable dressing rooms.
The organizers started preparation of Moscow Open 2014 immediately after the end of Moscow Open 2013.
At the moment important properties are decided:
- the venue - Moscow, Pokryshkina street, 3, building 3, sports complex of the South-Western Administrative District.
- prize money - will be kept on the MO-2013 level. The work on attraction of sponsors is under way.
- tournament formula - 1st day: qualification groups, 16 highest ranked players are promoted to the second day withouf qualification; 2nd day: final stage for 64 players.
- all participants will get souvenirs and diplomas with the Moscow Open 2014 logo.
The registration for the Moscow Open 2014 will be open two months before the tournament start, on January 15th, 2014. The registration form with necessary explanation will be published on the corresponding page of the official Moscow Open 2014 web site.
We recommend to follow the updates on the news page, where all upcoming information on the detail of the Moscow Open 2014 would be published, including information on accommodation in the "Astrus" hotel close to the tournament venue with special "partner" prices (expected 25 Euro/person/night in a double room), on booking inexpensive lunches in an restaurant near the venue and so on.
Send your questions concerning Moscow Open 2014 to official postbox of the Russian Table Hockey Federation: board-hockey@mail.ru
Moscow Open 2014 - is a way to improve your World Ranking!
Moscow Open 2014 - is a way to earn money with your playing skills!
Moscow Open 2014 - is a possibility to play with the champions and top stars of the table hockey world!
Moscow Open 2014 - is an incredible spirit, a sparkling event for all table hockey players!
Start preparing for the most outstanding tournament - Moscow Open 2014 - right now!
Leader of the Organizing Committee of the Moscow Open 2014
President of the Russian Table Hockey Federation
Alexey Titov
