International Student Sport Festival at Lobachevsky University
On June 30, the International Student Sport Festival "Relay: Sport&Fun" was held at Lobachevsky University for the first time. About 200 international and Russian students of Lobachevsky University took part and watched the festival. The participants were divided into eight teams consisting of eight members each: "Magical East", "Swift Balkans", "Generous Russia", "Heart of Central Asia", "Fabulous Maghreb", "Mysterious Asia", "Wonderful Africa", and "Fascinating America". The festival was organised by the UNN Department for International Student Affairs, the Department for Youth Policy and the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports.
"As you know, Nizhny Novgorod has won the status of Russia's Youth Capital 2023, which gives us an excellent chance to become a centre of attraction for young people not only from all over Russia, but also from other countries. In 2023, the Nizhny Novgorod region will host a number of large-scale events involving young representatives of the CIS and other friendly countries, as well as international students studying at Nizhny Novgorod universities. Such joint projects allow the Nizhny Novgorod region to develop cooperation with other countries in the fields of science, education and tourism," said Olga Guseva, Director of the Department of International Relations of the Nizhny Novgorod regional government.
Festival participants were welcomed by Alexander Bedny, UNN Vice-Rector for International Affairs and Networking.
"The University is, first and foremost, about education. We all know that education knows no boundaries. Almost two thousand students from a hundred countries study at Lobachevsky University. But besides education and science, the university is about healthy lifestyle, it is about manifesting all your abilities and talents, it is about having a great time outside the classroom, it is about sport, drive, and moving forward. And all of this is only possible when you are together, and only in an international setting. I congratulate all the participants in today's sporting event, I wish everyone victory, but most importantly - good spirits, a positive boost from taking part in sporting competitions, and a fantastic university life," said Alexander Bedny.
Each team competed for victory in a relay race which included competitions in agility, coordination, and teamwork. In parallel, there were contests for spectators: tug-of-war, balance exercises, rope climbing, darts, and more.
"Our goal is to bring as many young people and students as possible into sports and active lifestyles. The International Student Sports Festival is exactly about that, and it aims at the same goal. We're glad to provide a venue for the festival. It is the first event for our international students in the framework of the summer sports programme organised by the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports. In July and August, our teachers will run classes in the gyms, in the outdoor areas and in the sports hall," said Elena Orlova, Dean of the UNN Faculty of Physical Education and Sports.
Based on the competition results, the three winners of the UNN International Student Sports Festival were determined: first place went to the team "Generous Russia", second place to "Heart of Central Asia" and third place to "Magical East". All participating teams received diplomas and delicious prizes.
