MINSK, 5 August (BelTA) – The 2nd CIS Games get underway on 5 August, BelTA has learned.
Champions will be determined in one men’s and three women’s disciplines in the weightlifting tournament in Grodno on 5 August. We will see many experienced athletes in weightlifting, including Olympic champion of Beijing 2008 Andrei Aramnau of Belarus who will compete in 109kg.
The judo tournament kicks off in Gomel on 5 August too. The best athletes will be determined in eight weight categories: four for boys and girls (born in 2006-2008), state coach of the national team Ruslan Sharapov told BelTA.
In Soligorsk, representatives of the Greco-Roman style will hit the mat on 5 August. Athletes under 23 from 11 countries will compete in the Greco-Roman, freestyle and women’s wrestling tournaments.
The Palace of Rhythmic Gymnastics in Minsk will host three medal events: individual all-around, team and group events. The main favorites in the individual are the bronze medalist of the Tokyo Olympics Alina Harnasko of Belarus and Russia’s Arina Averina, Lala Kramarenko and Anna Popova.
Preliminary competitions in athletics (Dinamo Stadium) and in beach soccer (Olympiysky Sports Complex) will be held in Minsk on 5 August. Beach soccer competitions will be one of the most interesting, because they will feature three-time world champions Russia. The Belarusian team, which recently made it to the final stage of the World Championship for the third time in a row, will fight for victory at the CIS Games, said Chairman of the Belarusian Beach Soccer Federation Mikhail Botnikov. A handball tournament starts in Brest, and beach volleyball in Molodechno.
Belarus is hosting the 2nd CIS Games from 4 to 14 August. More than 2,200 athletes representing more than 20 countries will compete in 20 sports. The opening ceremonies (5 August) and closing ceremonies (13 August) will be held at Minsk Arena.
