Indian fishermen participate in Rosatom’s unique International Fishing Tournament

An unique International Fishing Tournament, organized by Russian nuclear major Rosatom, was held in the Udomlya Municipal District of Russia’s Tver Region, near the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant last week.

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, according to a Rosatom statement.

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, according to the statement.

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.

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.

"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 International Fishing Tournament is a regular educational event run by Rosatom, bringing together fishing enthusiasts, media representatives, and experts from around the world.

The Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant is located in the northern Tver Region in the Udomlya Municipal District, 150 km from the city of Tver. It is 350 km from Moscow and 450 km from St. Petersburg. The plant site is located on the southern shore of Lake Udomlya. The installed capacity of the Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant is 4,000 MW. The plant consists of two stages. Each stage includes two VVER power units with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts.