Republican Universiade and Spartakiad of Colleges of Belarus started in Minsk

Today, on September 19, a large-scale sports and youth festival was held at the Palace of Sports in Minsk, which gave an official start to the Republican Universiade and the Republican Spartakiade of student colleges of the 2026/27 academic year.

The event brought together thousands of students from 31 universities and college students from all over the country. The holiday began with the awarding of champions and prize-winners of the Republican Universiade and the Spartakiad of the 2025/26 academic year. The absolute winner of the Universiade last year was the Belarusian State University of Physical Culture. Prizes in the first group were taken by the Belarusian State University (third place) and the Grodno State University named after Y. Kupala (second place), the winner was the Belarusian National Technical University.

The winners were awarded by Deputy Prime Minister Natalia Petkevich, Deputy Minister of Education Ekaterina Petrutskaya, First Deputy Minister of Sports Alexander Dorokhovich, Deputy Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee Andrei Strigelsky and Chairman of the Belarusian Association of Student Sports, Honored Master of Sports of Belarus, Olympic champion Alexander Bogdanovich.

The official start of the competition took place after the symbolic fire was lit. Take out and light the torch was given the right to outstanding young athletes Ksenia Branfilova and Abubakar Haslakhanov. After that, at the same time, skateboarding, streetball, roller-sport and drag-bot competitions began at three venues in Minsk, as well as a mass race at a distance of 3 kilometers.

Deputy Prime Minister Natalia Petkevich took part in the festive race together with students. She noted that the youth fled with full dedication from start to finish: no one cut the distance, no one cheated.

- It was a pleasure to run shoulder to shoulder with everyone, to be in the middle of this wave. Sport is a challenge, sport is a union and self-realization. Everything you need to develop a strong personality can be embodied in sports. At the same time, it does not matter what goal everyone sets for himself - to maintain the body in tone or storm the higher pedestals. The main thing is to be together, shared Natalia Petkevich.

Deputy Minister of Education Ekaterina Petrutskaya also congratulated the participants of the race. According to her, our youth is the best – healthy, strong, self-confident, ready to hard work to prove their success in sports, profession and study

- The guys confirmed it again today. When we are united, we are invincible. There are universities and colleges literally from all corners of the country, about 5 thousand spectators gathered in the stands, and about 1.5 thousand active children came to the start of the race. Belarusian youth once again showed how sporty and united they are.

- Very interesting, dynamic and really massive start. Competing side by side with students from all over the country is a huge charge of cheerfulness. I have been doing athletics for six years, before that I gave ten years to swimming, so experience helped. And the excellent sunny weather in Minsk today played into our hands, the winner of the race did not hide his emotions.

- Today is a wonderful day – the opening of the new season and awarding the winners of the previous one. Student sports in Belarus unites a real elite, and it is gratifying to see that the heads of ministries and universities personally participate in dragonboat races, showing young people the right example of a healthy lifestyle. In our country, excellent conditions have been created for practicing physical culture at any level - from mass student to sports of higher achievements. The guys have every opportunity to train in the best arenas and set new records.

- For us, this is a new, but very exciting hobby. Before the start, literally two smoothing trainings were conducted on the water, but the mood was exceptionally victorious. I have been in sports since childhood - I have been rowing for five years, now I am playing hockey for the fourth year. On the site near the Sports Palace reigns stunning energy: a sea of smiles, a lot of young people from universities and colleges from all over the country.

- I've been in basketball for nine years. Stritball format 3×3 — special dynamics and tactics. To train inside your own team is one thing, but when you go on the court against unfamiliar strong student teams from all over the country, you see their style of play - it gives a huge motivation to develop further.