Sporty New Year with Izvestia

Hockey

KHL regular season. "Avangard" - "Metallurg", SKA - CSKA, "Lokomotiv" - CSKA, "Ak Bars" - "Salavat Yulaev"

As usual, during the New Year holidays, the KHL is rich in colorful matches. All teams rest only from December 31 to January 2 inclusive. And then they resume the season. On the penultimate day of 2024, the most colorful meeting will be a principled confrontation in the Eastern Conference between Omsk "Avangard" and Magnitogorsk "Metallurg". And on January 3, the first game day of 2025, in St. Petersburg, the spectators will see an Army derby between local SKA and CSKA Moscow. Both teams have already played two outstanding games this season. The last one took place this week, when CSKA won 6-5 at home. Two days later, it travels to visit KHL regular season leader Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. And on the last weekend, January 8, Kazan will host a crucial "green derby" between local Ak Bars and Ufa's Salavat Yulaev.

December 30, 14:00, "G-Drive Arena" (Omsk). January 3, 17:00, SKA Arena (St. Petersburg). January 5, "Arena-2000" (Yaroslavl). January 8, 17:00, Tatneft Arena (Kazan). Live streaming on Match TV, KHL TV, KHL Prime and Kinopoisk

Ski racing and biathlon

Race of Champions

The traditional New Year's and Christmas competition in the two major winter sports has become one of the country's main holiday sporting events. Since Russian athletes have been suspended from international starts for almost three years now, the event scheduled for early January in Ryazan is packed with star names. In addition to three-time Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov, spectators among the skiers will see Olympic champions Alexei Chervotkin, Denis Spitsov, Natalia Terentyeva, Tatiana Sorina, Olympic bronze medalist Alexander Terentyev, young stars Savely Korostelev, Anastasia Faleeva and Daria Nepryaeva.

Biathletes will be represented by Olympic bronze medalists Alexander Loginov, Eduard Latypov, Karim Khalili, Olympic silver medalist from Belarus Anton Smolsky, Olympic silver medalists Kristina Reztsova and Irina Kazakevich, Olympic champion from Belarus Dinara Smolsky, winner of the Cup of Russia last season Natalia Shevchenko. The prize fund of the tournament will amount to 12 million rubles.

January 4, 11:00-14:15. January 5, 11:00-14:20. Biathlon complex "Almaz" (Ryazan). Live broadcasts on Match TV

Familiar blitz: the best grandmasters gathered in New York for the tournament

The World Rapid Chess Championship will feature Russian participants, including reigning champions Gunina and Bodnaruk

Chess

World Championship in Rapid and Blitz

One of the biggest sporting events at the end of the year is the World Rapid Chess Championship in New York. All the stars have gathered there, including Russians Yan Nepomnyashchy, Alexander Grischuk, Daniil Dubov and Andrei Esipenko. But they, like other favorites like Norwegian Magnus Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana, are still far from the first place in Rapid. And lesser-known Russian Volodar Murzin is in the lead. He has two days to hold on, when the Rapid tournament ends and the Blitz tournament begins, which will end on the last day of 2024. There may be success for our women as well, where Valentina Gunina is in the group of leaders.

December 28-31, 22:00. Cipriani Wall Street Hall (New York, USA). Live broadcasts on the FIDE website

Volleyball

Russian Cup. Finals

Two trophies in Russian volleyball - men's and women's - will be played under the New Year. On December 28, the men's final of the Cup of Russia will be held. Dynamo Moscow will host Zenit Kazan. Both teams are the most titled for the last 10 years in Russian men's volleyball. And now they will again determine the strongest in a face-to-face match. A day later, the final of the Women's Cup of Russia will take place. In Kazan, local Dynamo-Ak Bars will take on St. Petersburg's Leningradka.

December 28, 19:30, Dynamo Volleyball Arena (Moscow). December 29, 19:30, Volleyball Center (Kazan). Live broadcasts on Match TV and Match! Planet

Basketball

VTB United League. UNICS vs. Zenit

Russian basketball teams will have a lot of games during the January holidays. VTB United League games will resume as early as January 4, and a day later there will be a top match between two championship contenders who took the main trophy in 2022 and 2023. UNICS Kazan will host Zenit St. Petersburg. Both teams are in the top three of the regular season, trailing CSKA.

January 5, 15:00, Basket Hall (Kazan). Live on Match TV and Match! Planet