Ten school teams participated in the traditional nineteenth basketball tournament for the prizes of the internationalist soldier Igor Solovyov.

Ten school teams participated in the traditional nineteenth basketball tournament for the prizes of the internationalist soldier Igor Solovyov. Successful shots, frustrating misses, and fierce sporting competition until the final seconds are the constant attributes of this sporting event. The main organiser was the public association "Belarusian Union of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan" of the Lepel district.

The tournament was opened by the Deputy Chairman of the District Executive Committee, Viktor Azaryonok, who wished the young basketball players good luck. The Deputy Chairman of the public association "Belarusian Union of Veterans of the War in Afghanistan" of the Vitebsk regional organisation, Sergey Shalimov, also joined in the congratulations.

Nineteen years… The tournament in memory of the internationalist soldier Igor Solovyov has lived and will continue to live thanks to the help of caring people. The second-degree medal "For Merit" was awarded to the Head of the Methodological Office of the Department of Education, Sports and Tourism of the District Executive Committee, Elena Skorbo. The medals "20 Years of Withdrawal of Troops from Afghanistan" were awarded to the Director of the Physical Culture and Health Centre, Rimantas Stripeikis, and the physical education teacher of Borovlyany Secondary School, Sergey Novikov. A musical gift was presented by the internationalist soldier Mikhail Tarasov, who performed the song "Salam, bacha".

The results of the sporting battles were commented on by one of the tournament organisers, the internationalist soldier Sergey Tseluyko, who noted that the level of the tournament is growing every year. And, of course, it would be unfair not to remember with kind words those who helped us in its organisation. These are individual entrepreneurs Evgeny Patsay, Valery Baykov, Vladimir Plyugach, Nikolay Lebedev. Cakes were provided by the culinary combine and the bakery. Thanks to the assistance of the district branch of the Belarusian Peace Fund, medals were purchased. The tournament matches took place on the courts of the Agrarian-Technical College and Secondary School No. 3.

Undoubtedly, this is a competition. In addition to its sporting aspect, it has a significant patriotic component. And we hope that the young people will remember our countrymen who died in the mountains of Afghanistan. May our children only fight on sports grounds.

Evgeny NIKOLAEV.
Photos by the author.