MINSK – The final approval of the Belarusian national team for the Summer Universiade in Korea happened on 27 May at the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus. Deputy Director of the Republican Center of Physical Education and Sports for Pupils and Students Alexander Flerko was assigned as head of the delegation. The farewell ceremony took place on 29 June in the Council Chamber of the Belarusian State University.
The Belarusians will compete in athletics, rhythmic gymnastics, artistic gymnastics, judo, tennis, taekwondo, rowing and swimming. In total, the team will include 25 athletes and 13 members of the administrative group. All athletes are members of the national teams.
The first group of athletes will travel to Gwangju on 30 June. However, a number of them will not depart from the capital of the Republic of Belarus. The Belarusian swimmers for instance will take off from Bishkek, where they are currently competing in a swim meet.
Despite the fact that the Belarusian delegation this year is not as large as it was in 2013 in Kazan, the delegation features some high profile athletes. There is for instance Melitina Stanyuta, the young Belarusian gymnast who travels from the First European Games in Baku straight to the Universiade in Gwangju. In 2013, the Belarusian brought home a silver medal.
This Universiade edition, it will be the first time Belarus only brings male swimmers. The group will include Evgeny Tsurkin who won a gold medal in Kazan.
Unfortunately, the program does not include canoe sprint, which has become successful for the Belarusians in Kazan. Two years ago, they won 40 medals in that sport. Nevertheless, the rowing team will be very competitive with rowers Kristina Staroselec and Tatiana Klimovich who ended on second place at last year’s World University Rowing Championship.
Since its FISU membership (1993), the student-athletes of the Belorussian NUSF brought home 156 medals from the Winter and Summer Universiades.
Lubov Kudelko (BLR), FISU Young Reporter
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