Young athletes from Belarus, Russia, and Estonia are participating in a boxing tournament in memory of Afghan war veterans in Vitebsk
During the opening ceremony, the memory of the fallen was honored with a moment of silence, and a delegation of competition participants laid a wreath at the "Pain" monument.
Welcoming the athletes, the Assistant to the President of Belarus – Inspector for the Vitebsk Region, Alexander Subbotin, noted that one of the most courageous sports has glorious traditions in Vitebsk. Among the prominent representatives of our boxing school are Vyacheslav Yanovsky, Andrey Zuev, and Sergey Lyakhovich, who brought glory to Belarus on the world stage.
Reserve Major General Alexander Skachkov said that the competition cultivates willpower and provides an opportunity to prove oneself in the sporting arena.
The Chairman of the regional organization of the Belarusian Union of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan, Valeryan Matskevich, recalled that the tournament was initiated by boxing enthusiasts Anatoly Stelmakho and Nikolai Onoiko with the support of Andrey Ivonin, who headed the city organization of internationalist soldiers "Bratstvo". Now, young men who were not even born then are entering the ring.
After three days of fights, the tournament winners will be announced. Vitebsk-based sponsor companies provided significant assistance in organizing the event.
Winners and prize-winners will be awarded medals, diplomas, and prizes from the regional and city organizations of Afghanistan War veterans.