Sergey Diakonov

Sergey Diakonov competed in bandy and field hockey before becoming a referee in both sports. Diakonov began playing bandy in 1956 in Moskva and continued to play until 1974, including taking part in 39 matches in the USSR Championships. He also played field hockey from 1969 to 1971 and was part of the team that finished in third place in the national championships in 1971.

Diakonov started as a referee in bandy in 1974 and officiated in matches in the USSR and Russian bandy championships until 1996. He refereed at multiple tournaments including the European Champions Cup (1976, 1981, 1986), the World Cup (1981–83, 1987), and various junior championships. In field hockey Diakonov refereed in matches in the Soviet and Russian field hockey championships from 1972 to 1996. Mirroring his referee work in bandy he also officiated in international competitions including the European Champions Cup (1978), the European Championships (1978, 1987, 1995), and the 1980 Moskva Olympics. From 1993 to 1996 Diakonov served as the head of the Russian national field hockey team.