Tretiak: AKM Tula Needs New Sponsors to Survive
FHR president Vladislav Tretiak says AKM Tula's pre-season funding gap remains unresolved, hoping local authorities help the club find sponsors.
Vladislav Tretiak, president of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia, has commented on the financial difficulties at AKM Tula, who play in the Olimpbet VHL.
"We talked with the club's management, this problem already existed before the season. I spoke with the club's main sponsor, who said everything would be resolved. Now they are saying there are problems, we cannot influence that. There is always hope for the best, the main thing is that they find sponsors there, and the authorities help them. Especially since hockey has already taken root there," said Tretiak.
AKM's structure also includes the youth sides AKM-Junior and Akademiya Mikhailova. AKM-Junior, founded in 2021 and based at the 3,072-seat Ledovy Dvorets, currently top their MHL group, though with no points after seven matches this season.
Polyplast, the club's general sponsor, also backs Lada, who compete in the Fonbet KHL Championship.
The comments follow a report on 21 September in which Sport-Express journalist Alexey Shevchenko said AKM could drop out of the Olimpbet VHL altogether, with the funding gap threatening all Tula clubs within the system. Tretiak's remarks confirm that the shortfall remains unresolved more than a week on.
If no sponsor comes forward, the club's participation in the rest of the VHL season could be in doubt, along with the knock-on effect on its junior teams.
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