Children of Asia Games open in Russia’s Yakutsk
MINSK, 26 June (BelTA) – An opening ceremony of the 8th Children of Asia International Sports Games was held at Tuymaada Stadium in Yakutsk, Russia, BelTA learned from the press service of the NOC of Belarus.
President of the Belarusian NOC Viktor Lukashenko attended the event as a guest of honor. In attendance were also head of the Republic of Sakha Aisen Nikolaev, President of the Russian Olympic Committee Stanislav Pozdnyakov and Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Mikhail Degtyarev., and also Secretary General of the Belarusian NOC Ksenia Sankovich, Belarusian Sport and Tourism Minister Sergei Kovalchuk and Deputy Sport and Tourism Minister Aleksandr Baraulya.
The ceremony featured ,ore than 50 creative teams from Yakutia and other regions of Russia. The flame of the 8th Children of Asia International Sports Games was lit by winner of the very first games in 1996 Georgy Balakshin, who is also a bronze medalist of the Beijing Olympics and a three-time European champion in boxing.
More than 140 young athletes from Belarus will compete in 12 sports at the Games. The first medal events of the 8th Children of Asia International Sports Games were in sambo on 26 June. The table tennis program began with the mixed doubles tournament. Belarusian teams Aleksandr Petrashevsky — Maria Selivonets and Nazar Matsko — Varvara Zaitseva lost their first matches.
