1965 FIB WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEN

Arkhangelsk, Ivanovo, Kursk, Moscow and Sverdlovsk, USSR 21-27 February

USSR won the tournament and Norway got its first World Championship medal ever when the team won the silver medal. Both Finland and Sweden ended up on two points. The Russian organizers awarded the bronze medals to Finland, due to Finlands mutual meeting with Sweden. But according to the International Bandy Rules at that time, the difference in goals would apply at equal points. A new set of bronze medals was therefore handed over to the Swedish players in the autumn of 1965.

The games were played in Arkhangelsk, Ivanovo, Kursk, Moscow and Sverdlovsk.

WCS 1965 will be remembered particularly for large volumes of audiences. Six tournament games in total with 116,000 viewers. The average audience was 19,333 per game. The championship was resolved in a single four-team series. The game between USSR and Norway had 29,000 spectators and became a World Championship record at the time.

1 USSR      

Anatoly Melnikov, Yuri Shkolnyi, Valentin Atamanichev, Nikolai Durakov, Alexander Izmodenov, Mikhail Osintsev, Viktor Shehovtsov, Yuri Shorin, Vitaliy Danilov, Yevgeny Gerasimov, Valery Maslov, Yevgeny Papugin, Yuri Varsinov, Albert Vologzhannikov

2 NORWAY 

Einar Andersen, Alf Bråthen, Kjell Ivar Engebretsen, Kjell Eriksen, Ole Johnny Frisian, Svein Grattum, Odd Heiestad, Raymond Jahrmann, Tore Lie, Roar lower Nilsen, Steinar Pettersen, Thorodd Presberg, Bernt Skarnæs, Inge Thun, Svein Thun, Per Fredrik Wright

3 SWEDEN

Börje Andersson, Ulf Fredin, Leif Sweder, Kurt Sedwall, Bernt Ericsson, Göran Sedvall, Hans Nordin, Leif Fredblad, Gunnar Palmér, Kjell-Ove Almroth, Sune Eriksson, Ulf Fred, Björn Göransson, Jan Hermansson, Matz-Allan Johansson, Håkan Persson, Leif Sveder, Per-Olof Wallin

USSR – World Champion 1965 – Photo: USSR Bandy Federation

BEST GOAL SCORER

Nikolai Durakov, USSR – 5 goals

BEST PLAYERS

Goalkeeper
Börje Andersson, Sweden

Defender
Vitaly Danilov, USSR

Midfielder
Nikolai Durakov, USSR

Forward
Bernt Eriksson, Sweden

NIKOLAI DURAKOV – A LEGENDARY PLAYER OF HIS CENTURY

Nikolai Durakov

In this championship 1965 the legendary Nikolai Durakov was the best goal scorer. Many people call him “King of Bandy”. Durakov was born in Krasnogorovka. His first team was in the children’s team “Metallurg”. In the USSR Championships he played 461 matches and scored 584 goals. All goals in SKA Sverdlovsk 1953-January 1976. He was champion of USSR 9 times in 1956, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1971, 1974.

Mr Durakov is the best scorer of his club’s history and he also was the best scorer of the USSR Championships 8 times (1959, 1962, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1974). He played 48 games in the national team, made 47 goals and was 7 times World Champion from 1957 to 1973. He was recognized as the best midfielder 3 times in the World Championships. The last time this year 1965.

He was rewarded a medal “For Outstanding Achievements” in 1974 by the International Bandy Federation (current FIB). He was also appointed as the best bandy player of his country of the 20th century 1901-1999. He ended his career as playing coach (1972-1975) and coach (1977-1980) for his beloved club SKA Sverdlovsk. In November 2022, the monument “Epoch”, dedicated to Nikolai Durakov, was opened in Yekaterinburg. Watch the video on top of this page.

Nikolai Durakov passed away on 9 March 2024, at the age of 89.