In a solemn ceremony, the Head of the Republic presented the Cup named after Mikhail Nikolayev, the founder of the Children of Asia Games, For the Will to Win, to Aina Kirillina, the winner in trap shooting at the 8th Games. The Cup of the First President was established by the Children of Asia International Committee.
"Today, I am proud to present this Cup dedicated to the memory of the First President of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), Mikhail Yefimovich Nikolayev, the founder of the Children of Asia Games. This Cup was established in his honor, and the Children of Asia International Committee instituted the For the Will to Win award, which has been presented to the trap shooting champion, Aina Kirillina," said Aisen Nikolaev.
Aina Kirillina expressed her joy at participating in the Children of Asia Games and achieving a strong result.
"I am deeply grateful to my coaches and family for their support. This achievement is the result of my coaches’ hard work. I study at the Yakutsk City National Gymnasium and have just completed 8th grade. Last year, my classmate invited me to Dokhsun Sports Complex, where I began practicing this sport. The competition was tough, and in the final, I competed against Maria Berezina from the Ural Federal District. My dream is to become an Olympic champion in the future," shared the Games champion.
"Aina performed exceptionally at the Children of Asia Games. She was the only competitor to meet the qualification standard for a Candidate for Master of Sports during the competition. She received the For the Will to Win award because, in the final, she was trailing by five targets—a deficit that, in our sport, especially in a final, is almost impossible to overcome. However, she managed to tie the score and force a shootout, where she ultimately defeated her opponent to win the event," explained Arkady Andreev, senior coach of Yakutia's trap shooting team.
"We will soon leave for the country's youth league, which will take place in Moscow at Lisya Nora Shooting Complex. Following that, we will participate in the Russian U-19 Championship," he added.