II International Winter Sports Games “Children of Asia” ended in Kuzbass

The closing ceremony of the Games, which brought together 7,000 people, was held on March 4 in the Kemerovo Ice Palace “Kuzbass”.

The famous Russian figure skater, Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin led the ceremony.

Speaking to athletes, competitors, coaches, judges, volunteers and guests of the Games, Governor Sergei Tsivilev noted that Kuzbass was especially happy to host the “Children of Asia”.

“We are grateful to everyone who came to us for this sports festival. Children’s eyes shine, and we are all recharged from this charge of childhood. So the holiday was a success. It is already ending, but the true friendship acquired here will remain forever,” Sergei Tsivilev said.

Warm words were also heard from the mascot of the Games, the young lynx Tikhoni, whose name was chosen by the inhabitants of the region.

The infrastructure of the region was noted by the First Deputy Minister of Sports of Russia Azat Kadyrov.

“In Kuzbass, an excellent infrastructure has been created that allows you to host both winter and summer sports, the opportunities here are really great, you can talk about almost any sports competition,” Azat Kadyrov.

During the competition, athletes competed for 57 sets of medals. Team results of the medal standings:

• SFD leads with 39 medals (15 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze)
• second position for the Moscow team – 34 medals (15 gold, 9 silver and 10 bronze)
• the third place belongs to the Ural Federal District – 27 medals (10 gold, 8 silver and 9 bronze).

The Kuzbass team finished the Games in fifth place, having won 15 awards (3 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze medals).

The audience was pleased with the wonderful performance of well-known and emerging artists from various regions of Russia.

At the end of the ceremony, the flag of the International Sports Committee “Children of Asia” was solemnly lowered. It was carried by the winners and prize-winners of the completed Games.

This right has been entrusted to:

• to an athlete from Kuzbass – a candidate for master of sports in snowboarding, a two-time silver medalist in parallel slalom, parallel giant slalom Dmitry Podolsky
• to an athlete from Kazakhstan – the winner in the 1000 m short track, the silver medalist in the 1500 m, the silver medalist in the 3000 m relay race Tolegen Meyirzhan
• Muscovite, winner in speed skating, 1500 m, two-time silver medalist in 1000 and 3000 m, bronze medalist in 500 m Matvey Bazhanov
• and the representative of the Urals Federal District, the winner of freestyle skiing at a distance of 10 km, Tikhon Kochergin.