UrBC, Yekaterinburg, October 6, 2015. Uralvagonzavod is hosting the Ready for Labor and Defense (GTO) sports competition for the second time this year. 626 workers (353 sportsmen and 272 sportswomen) from eighty-three divisions of the company took part in the event.

'Our employees first competed for GTO badges in 2014. We see restoration of company traditions, attracting more people into amateur and professional sports, and promotion of a healthier lifestyle as the main goals of this championship,' the company press service says.

This year, team competitions were introduced for the first time. Every department provided an eight-people team (two male and two female players in the 18-29 age group, one male and one female player in the 30-39 age group, and one player in the 40-49 and 50+ age groups each). Some of the contestants also competed individually. All the applicants had to have a medical checkup first.

Workers from the company's metallurgical and assembly departments were the first to join in the competition; they were followed by those from the railcar assembly and auxiliary departments and then by those from Uralvagonzavod's external partners.