The solemn opening ceremony of the 2nd Winter Children of Asia International Sports Games was held in the Kuzbass Ice Palace in Kemerovo.
As part of the grandiose sports festival, a traditional parade of participants and a theatrical performance took place. 12 countries, over 850 athletes and 19 united teams from Thailand, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Belarus, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, the Bashkortostan Republic, the Far Eastern Federal District, Moscow, the Siberian Federal District, the Ural Federal District, the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) the Republic of Tatarstan and Kuzbass were represented at the parade of participants.
Eminent athletes carried the flag of the Children of Asia International Committee. The flag bearers were the titled graduates of the Games of different years – Mr. Mark Asmus, Ms. Ksenia Sinitsyna, Ms. Ariadna Panchuk, Mr. Merey Akshalov, Mr. Anton Chupkov and Ms. Lilia Akhaimova.
The athletes were congratulated by the President of the Children of Asia International Committee Ms. Vladimir Maksimov, Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District Mr. Anatoly Seryshev, President of the Russian Olympic Committee Mr. Stanislav Pozdnyakov, Governor of Kuzbass Mr. Sergey Tsivilev and Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation Mr. Oleg Matytsin.
- I want to say thank you to everyone who, together with us, prepared for the 2nd Winter Children of Asia International Sports Games and did everything possible to make our children's sports holiday enter the annals of the Olympic movement. Today Children of Asia unites thousands of athletes from the Asian continent. We remember the stories of all our winners, we cheer for them in big sport at the most prestigious competitions in the world. Children of Asia is not only a sport but also an important cultural project. Participants and volunteers of the Games discover the diversity of the world around them, learn to appreciate and understand the uniqueness of different cultures and traditions. May the Children of Asia Games in Kuzbass become the beginning of victories for athletes and remain in the heart of everyone a real celebration of sports and friendship! Mr. Vladimir Maksimov concluded his speech.
The main event at the opening was the lighting of the fire of the games. The fire of the Winter International Sports Games was brought in by two-time Olympic champion Mr. Evgeni Plushenko, Olympic bronze medalist Ms. Natalya Shive and three-time Olympic champion Mr. Alexander Karelin. The fire was lit by the silver medalist of the all-around championship of the Siberian Federal District Ms. Victoria Fedorova and three-time Olympic champion Ms. Elena Vyalbe.
The evening ended with a performance by Olympic silver medalist Ms. Alexandra Trusova.
2nd Winter Children of Asia International Sports Games are held in Kuzbass from February 23 to March 5. In total, it is planned to play 57 sets of medals in 10 sports: alpine skiing, ski jumping, cross-country skiing, freestyle, speed skating, curling, snowboarding, figure skating and hockey.
