Chelyabinsk Handball Team Loses on Train Delay Technicality
A youth handball team from Chelyabinsk received a technical defeat after missing a match due to a freight train derailment that delayed their journey.
Apr 28, 2026 0
Footage from the derailment scene released by investigators.
Source:
A team of schoolgirls from Chelyabinsk was given a technical defeat in a game against a Rostov team at the All-Russian Handball Championships. The reason was a major accident on the railway tracks, which forced their train to take a detour.
Messages about the train delay received by the parents of the young handball players.
Source:
The emergency occurred on 1 February on the Orici – Shalegovo stretch of the Gorky Railway in Kirov Oblast. More than 20 freight train cars derailed, requiring extensive recovery work.
The athletes were not at fault for the canceled match due to external circumstances.
Source:
To clear the aftermath, 300 people, two recovery trains, and specialized equipment were deployed. About 900 meters of track were damaged. The accident delayed 20 passenger trains, including train No. 1, Vladivostok – Moscow.
«The team was on train No. 1 Vladivostok – Moscow,» one of the mothers told 74.RU. «The train was turned around en route and sent on a detour around the accident. As a result, travel time increased by 21 hours. Our opponent that day was supposed to be Rostov. They refused to consider the emergency on the train»s route and demanded a technical defeat. Unsportsmanlike behavior, even in youth sports.«
The Chelyabinsk handball players were given a 10–0 loss. The athletes« parents are concerned that this deprives the team of any chance of success in the ongoing tournament.
«The championship continues, but with a technical defeat in the first game, the girls have an unequal chance, or rather, none at all because it counts as a clean loss,» explained another mother. «We made a request to reschedule the game, but were refused.»
The Chelyabinsk city administration confirmed that local authorities tried to intervene. «Of course, the city is aware. The Department of Physical Culture and Sports and the school administration tried to resolve the situation through the Russian Handball Federation,» the administration commented. «However, the regulations of the Russian Championship stipulate that if a team fails to appear for a game, regardless of the reason, they can be given a technical defeat at the discretion of the opponents. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened with our athletes. The team has a technical defeat, and it is impossible to appeal this decision.»
This is not the first time sports events have been disrupted by transport problems. Earlier, Russian Railways (RZD) reported a delay of the Moscow – Chelyabinsk train due to a collision with a fuel truck on the tracks.
Read more
