Vladimir Putin congratulates members of KAMAZ-Master on the victory in Dakar-2014 Rally

On January 30 Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated members of truck team KAMAZ-Master on brilliant victory in Dakar-2014 rally raid, which became the 12th victory of the Russian truck racers.

The meeting with members of KAMAZ-Master took place in the presidential country residence in Novo-Ogarevo. Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Director General of OAO “KAMAZ” Sergey Kogogin took part in the event.

Vladimir Putin noted that members of the team showed themselves not only as quick athletes, but also as highly generous people, as they were courageous enough to stop and help their rivals in trouble, putting their leadership at risk.

“Our meetings after your victory at the rally are becoming a tradition,” Putin said, opening the meeting with the athletes. “However, this does not make them any less impressive.”

“It is amazing that you succeed to lead in these hardest competitions every year,” Putin said. “In the course of the race you not only demonstrated your skills, but conducted yourself with honour by helping your competitors, the Chinese team,” he added.

“It is largely through your efforts and your victories that the KAMAZ trademark is growing in popularity around the world. The company if increasingly becoming a major player, which confirms the high level of the plant and its products,” Vladimir Putin said.

KAMAZ-Master team leader Vladimir Chagin, in his turn, noted that apart from tasks to win KAMAZ plant faced one more goal. “This year it was special for us to take part in it, because the Dakar Rally was the first sports event in the year when the Olympic Games are to be held in our country. It was very important that Russian athletes start it off successfully,” he said.

Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov said that today KAMAZ has finally turned into a self-sufficient enterprise. “Dakar results point to the fact that it also has major potential,” he noted.