With cordiality and hospitality

A press tour for foreign media
dedicated to the 2nd CIS Games
is underway

Almost everything is ready for the start of the 2nd CIS Games, which are scheduled to be held in 11 cities of Belarus from August 4th to August 14th. Representatives of foreign mass media, for which the Information Ministry, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organised an exciting press tour, will be able to make sure of this. A rich program awaits reporters all week, and the sports and tourist excursion began on Monday morning with a visit to the Dinamo National Olympic Stadium.
A modern, beautiful, clean and comfortable city where the past is preserved, the present is taken care of and the future is thought of. The writing and filming community were unanimous in their assessments and first impressions of Minsk. Guests from Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, Russia and China got acquainted with the infrastructure of the main arena of the country with undisguised interest, asked questions, shared their opinions. Representatives of sunny Azerbaijan have a special interest: this country will host the 3rd CIS Games, which will be held in 2025, and therefore our experience is doubly interesting for them. By the way, the Azerbaijanis have already decided that they will follow in the footsteps of Belarus and also spread all kinds of a rich programme around the country, not concentrating the holiday only in the capital. 


Dinamo made an impression on everyone. The guests visited the shooting gallery, where they took the opportunity and tested themselves for accuracy by shooting from rifles and pistols, then moved to the climbing wall. This recently opened facility meets all world standards; athletes of our team are already training here on the Olympic slopes. For reporters, they showed a master class, and whoever wanted — experienced all the hard work of a rock climber. 


The journalists also managed to assess the level of the emerald lawn of the national arena. In the bowl of the stadium the Sports and Tourism Minister of Belarus Sergei Kovalchuk met with the guests and answered their questions. He invited everyone to Belarus to cheer on the athletes, enjoy the culture, customs, traditions, nature of our country, as well as the famous Belarusian cordiality and hospitality.
“Nine CIS countries have officially confirmed their participation. In addition, athletes from Mongolia, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates will take part in competitions in various sports... The list of these states can grow, but now more than two thousand athletes from 18 countries have officially passed through the accreditation system of the Games,” the minister said.
The topic of politics was not spared either. When asked by reporters whether the 2nd CIS Games can be considered as ‘our answer to Chamberlain’ and some alternative to the Olympics, Sergei Kovalchuk stated clearly, “We do not say anything about the alternative, we have one principle: sport is out of politics. Sport is designed to unite people and countries, not to divide them. We are trying to prove to everyone that today it is necessary to remove the concept of politics from sports. In the arenas, people should compete and make friends, sorting things out in an honest and open fight.”
After Dinamo Stadium, the media delegation went to Zhodino, where an excursion to BELAZ was prepared for the journalists, and then a visit to Borisov with an inspection of the BelGee was made. What follows is a no less exciting and rich programme. Everything is scheduled right up to Saturday: a trip to Soligorsk to Belaruskali with a descent into the mine, acquaintance with other sports facilities in Minsk, moving to Belovezhskaya Pushcha, visiting the Brest Fortress, Mir Castle and other significant places in the region. Knowing the broad Belarusian soul, there is no doubt that the guests will take home not only souvenirs and a sea of impressions, but also the desire to return to Belarus as soon as possible. 

By Sergei Kanashits
photos by Yegor Yermalitsky