Mumbai: On September 28-29, 2026, the fourth International Fishing Tournament, organized by the Rosatom State Corporation, was held in the Udomlya Municipal District of Russia’s Tver Region, near the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant.
The tournament was attended by 22 amateur athletes, as well as 28 journalists and representatives of the expert community from 11 Rosatom partner countries implementing or planning nuclear energy projects: Bangladesh, Belarus, Hungary, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and South Africa. Representatives of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant also participated in the event.
The Indian fishing team included Ziegen Joseph and Chandrasekar Ravi, both fishing enthusiasts from Tamil Nadu.
On September 28, participants took part in a fishing training session, followed by the main competition on September 29. The programme included an opening ceremony, a draw and the fishing competition across several categories.
The catch was subsequently submitted for assessment. Representatives of the Environmental Protection and Radiation Safety departments of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant participated in the weighing of the catch and used specialized equipment to conduct dosimetric monitoring of the fish.
The Malaysian team won the “Biggest Fish” category with a pike-perch weighing 1.7 kg. The Hungarian team won the “Will to Win” category, while the Russian team won the “Biggest Catch” category, having caught the largest number of fish species native to Lake Udomlya.
For the Indian participants, the tournament provided an opportunity to experience fishing in a new environment and interact with fellow anglers from around the world.
“The fishing was exciting, with plenty of promising strikes, but the real catch was the community. Meeting so many fellow sport fishermen here felt like becoming part of a close-knit family and for us, that’s already a win. The tournament gave us a once in a lifetime experience: chasing species we’d never seen, in conditions we’d never faced, and the chance to connect with fellow anglers from around the world. This is something we’ll treasure for a lifetime. We are grateful to the organizers and to Rosatom for making this possible,” said Ziegen Joseph.
“It was a fantastic fishing experience: plenty of strikes, incredible views, and a very safe environment on the pristine water. We encountered 5 strikes on the practice day and 6 strikes on the tournament day which proved that the fish were plenty and very active and also made the challenge even more exciting. I’m very positive about the whole event and would happily take part again.” said Chandrasekar Ravi.
As part of the tournament programme, participants visited the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant. The guests toured the turbine halls and control rooms of Units 3 and 4, visited the cooling towers and interacted with plant engineers, including Chief Engineer Ruslan Alyev, Deputy Director for Human Resources Oleg Lebedev and Deputy Chief Engineer for Safety and Reliability Evgeny Soloviev.
“It was a great honor and responsibility for the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant to host this event, as representatives from a large number of countries came to visit to learn about the operation of our nuclear power plant, ensure the safety of our technologies, and learn more about the plant’s environmental protection efforts,” said Ruslan Alyev, Chief Engineer of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant.
A cultural programme was also organized for the event’s guests, including a visit to the Atom Museum at VDNKh in Moscow, historical sites near the plant and the Udomlya Regional Museum.
“The International Fishing Tournament has already become one of Rosatom’s flagship educational events, demonstrating the environmental friendliness of nuclear energy. International guests can see for themselves that nuclear power plants not only protect the environment but also drive regional development. Such events also demonstrate Rosatom’s openness and help build a trusting dialogue with the populations of countries embarking on their own nuclear projects,” noted Alexandra Justus, Deputy Director General for Communications at Rosatom International Network.
The Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant continuously implements measures aimed at meeting environmental impact standards, including the conservation of aquatic bioresources. In 2025, the plant conducted four artificial fish stocking events. According to the plant, the fish stock in Lakes Pesvo and Udomlya currently stands at approximately 740 tonnes.
The Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant also took first place among Rosatom State Corporation enterprises in the annual “Environmentally Exemplary Organization in the Nuclear Industry” competition for 2025. Environmental monitoring is conducted regularly in the region surrounding the plant.
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