A presentation of the International multisport games of the BRICS member states was held within the framework of the Russia – China International Forum; the Games are scheduled to take place in Kazan from 12 June to 23 June 2024. Competitions in 25 sports are expected to be held along with the participation of 3,000 athletes from the BRICS countries and other states.

Acting Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan Ildar Sadriev told about the infrastructure of Kazan, which will be used for the organization of the Games, and also emphasised the readiness of the city to host major international sports competitions.

“Kazan is the sports capital of Russia. The city has a wealth of experience in organising sporting events. We have all required sports venues, so I dare say that we are ready for the BRICS Sports Games and hope to see the same commitment from our other colleagues,” commented Ildar Sadriev.

Zhang Dali, Deputy Head of the China-Tatarstan Scientific Centre at the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan, Director of the SCO-Digital Technologies LLC, expressed his confidence that the BRICS Sports Games will play a vital role in the relations between the member countries of the alliance.

“The BRICS Games are an event that can unite all BRICS countries. Every year this alliance is growing, while increasing its influence in the world. The BRICS Games will help bring the countries together even closer. Sport is very important for all countries. It is possible to cooperate even without speaking the same language. Such events should be arranged for Russia, China, and other countries. I expect to see a lot of teams at these games,” said Zhang Dali.

According to Ildar Sadriev, cooperation between Russia and China in the field of sports will benefit both countries.

“Sport is a bridge that unites. Even if communication is challenging, athletes can always agree and understand each other. We are ready to cooperate, ready to host Chinese students, to adopt the experience of our colleagues. The Beijing Olympics showed that sport in this country is developing very quickly. It was nice to learn about the willingness of the Chinese people to cooperate with Russia in the development of esports and phygital sports. We hope that today’s communication will give a new impetus to the development of sports,” emphasized the Acting Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The first Russia – China International Forum is taking place on 7-8 September 2023, at the Kazan Expo IEC.

At the International Sports Forum Russia – Country of Sports, held in Perm, Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin announced the upcoming BRICS Games in Kazan to be open to athletes from all countries willing to take part in the competition.

The BRICS Sports Games will be held in Kazan from 11 June to 23 June 2024, at 17 sports venues in 27 sports. About 3,000 athletes are expected to participate. Invitations to the Games have been sent to the five BRICS member states (Brazil, India, China, South Africa, and Russia), and six countries (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates), which will be admitted to the alliance starting 1 January 2024.

“These days the BRICS Games are taking place in South Africa, and so far, Russian athletes have won 14 medals, 11 of which are gold. The next BRICS Games will be held in Kazan. They will be open to everyone. I would like to invite athletes from Africa, Asia, Europe, and America. Come and visit us! Russia and Kazan will always be happy to see you,” emphasised Oleg Matytsin.

Minister of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus Sergey Kovalchuk stressed the importance of the BRICS Games for international sport and expressed his confidence that they would be arranged at the top level.

“It is with great pleasure and satisfaction that we support the initiatives put forward by the Russian side to hold the BRICS Games in June and the world Solidarity Games in September of 2024. We are excited about the scale and spectacle of these multisport forums. And we are confident that they will be held at the highest organisational level. The 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as well as other events that were arranged with such excellence, are still fresh in our memory. Belarus is ready to take the most active part in preparation and holding of these events,” said Sergey Kovalchuk.

The BRICS Sport Ministers meeting is scheduled within the framework of the BRICS Sports Games 2024, as well as the approval of the concept of sustainable development and rules of conduct for the BRICS Games 2025-2030.

The Ministry of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan and Match TV agreed on the cooperation for the duration of the BRICS Sports Games 2024 in Kazan

The agreement was signed at the International Sports Forum Russia – Country of Sports, held in Perm. All of the most important competitions of the BRICS Games 2024 will be broadcast by Match TV.

“Match TV channel is our long-standing and reliable friend. Thanks to it, the people of our country can become part of the major sporting events that take place in the Republic of Tatarstan. We are delighted that the channel will become our partner at the BRICS Sports Games in 2024 and will help make the competitions unforgettable for the millions of sports fans from all over the world,” said Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan.

“As a federal sports channel, we will obviously be very pleased to show the BRICS Games on our channels. What is more, we will send great technical and creative power to Kazan to ensure that the picture is of the highest quality to match the competition. Kazan has vast experience in hosting the world’s biggest events at the premium level, so there is no doubt that in terms of their organisation the BRICS Games will be on a par with the FIFA Confederations Cup and the FIFA World Cup, the finals of major Russian competitions, and the Solidarity Games,” said Dmitry Ryzhkov, First Deputy General Producer of Match TV.

The BRICS Sports Games will be held in Kazan from 11 June to 23 June 2024. Competitions in 27 sports will be held at 17 sports venues. These include: badminton, boxing, breaking, canoeing, rowing, judo, karate, koresh, athletics, table tennis, swimming, beach volleyball, beach handball, diving, sambo, artistic swimming, skateboarding, wrestling (freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling), artistic gymnastics, tennis, weightlifting, wushu, fencing, phygital sports (basketball and football), rhythmic gymnastics, and chess.

About five thousand participants are expected at the BRICS Sports Games, three thousand of which are athletes and another two thousand are officials. Invitations to the Games have been sent to the five BRICS member states (Brazil, India, China, South Africa, and Russia) and six countries (Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates), which will be admitted to the alliance starting 1 January 2024.

The BRICS Sport Ministers meeting is scheduled within the framework of the BRICS Sports Games 2024, as well as the approval of the concept of sustainable development and rules of conduct for the BRICS Games 2025-2030.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, and Igor Levitin, Aide to the President of Russia, held a meeting of the Organising Committee for the BRICS Sports Games 2024 in Kazan. The meeting resulted in the approval of the list of sport disciplines and competition venues along with the official logo of the tournament.

Deputy Prime Minister noted the strategic importance of the upcoming tournament for the Russian Federation.

“Russia chairs the BRICS in 2024, and the interstate format of BRICS Sports Games will make it possible to hold them at a top level and provide equal opportunities for all participants. Russia is advancing the BRICS Games to a whole new level: competitions in 29 sports, popular in the alliance countries, are scheduled. We see a positive feedback from the participating countries, which do not pander to Western functionaries.

The innovative Games of the Future start in Kazan in a month, and all arrangements continue as planned. I have no doubt that this tradition will remain in preparation for the BRICS Games. It is important to ensure the readiness of all venues and their compliance with all requirements,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

“Tatarstan has repeatedly hosted major international scale events. Our rich experience allows us to take responsibility for holding events of any level and format. The Republic has all the necessary resources to realise this project. I can assure you that we will make every effort to see that the Games are held at a high organisational level, and we will fulfil all our obligations,” emphasised Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan.

“We have decided to hold the BRICS Games 2024 in an open format following our initiative and in agreement with our colleagues from the BRICS countries. All members of the alliance adhere to the principles of equal and non-discriminatory admission; we provide equal opportunities for athletes from all countries to freely participate in the tournament without any sanctions and restrictions, march under the flag of their own country, and sing the anthem of a winning country. We expect about 5,000 athletes from more than 60 countries to participate in the BRICS Games in Kazan. The preparations are based on the developed and agreed Plan of Events, which includes ensuring the readiness of all infrastructure and services, the arrangement of cultural and volunteer programmes, as well as sanitary and anti-epidemic measures. One of the key areas is to ensure the safety of participants and guests of the event, this has always been our priority. We look forward to seeing everyone at the BRICS Sports Games 2024 in Kazan,” said Oleg Matytsin, Minister of Sport.

The Games will take place from 11 June to 23 June, 2024. The Games Sports Programme includes competitions in 29 sports most popular in the BRICS countries: boxing, breaking, beach volleyball, beach handball, canoe sprint, rowing, judo, karate, koresh belt wrestling, belt wrestling, athletics, table tennis, swimming, diving, sambo, artistic swimming, skateboarding, wrestling, artistic gymnastics, tennis, wushu, fencing, basketball double-event, football double-event, rhythmic gymnastics, chess, weightlifting, badminton, and equestrian sports. The athletes will compete for a total of 389 sets of medals. About 2,300 volunteers will be involved in arranging the events.

The Ministry of Sport of Russia, together with Russian sports federations, is developing regulations for the competition programme and forming the panel of judges.

From 11 June to 24 June 2024, Kazan will host the BRICS Sports Games, an annual multi-sport event between the member countries of the BRICS economic group. The Games have been held since 2016, but for the first time ever they will be hosted by the Russian Federation.

More than 70 countries, including 10 BRICS member countries, including the Russian Federation, have expressed their intention to compete in Kazan. About 5,000 participants are expected at the Games in total.

The sports programme of the competitions comprises 30 sports and disciplines – 21 Olympic and 9 non-Olympic, with many of them making their debut at the BRICS Games in Kazan. Participants will compete for a record number of awards – 393 sets.

The programme of the Games consists of Boxing, Breaking, Beach Volleyball, Beach Handball, Canoe Sprint, Rowing, Judo, Karate, Koresh, Belt Wrestling, Athletics, Table Tennis, Swimming, Diving, Sambo, Artistic Swimming, Skateboarding, Wrestling, Artistic Gymnastics, Tennis, Wushu, Fencing, Basketball Double-Event, Football Double-Event, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Chess, Weightlifting, Badminton, Equestrian Sports and Acrobatic Rock’n’roll.

The competitions of the Games will be held at 17 sports venues in Kazan. The Opening Ceremony will take place on 12 June, and the Closing Ceremony on 23 June.

To work at the BRICS Games, Media representatives need to pass the accreditation procedure, which will begin on 18 March and last until 12 May.

1. To get access to the accreditation system, please complete a provisional request form following the link

2. Upon its review, the Organising Committee will send the notification containing a login and password, and access link along with the system user manual to the email specified in the provisional request form.

3. Having logged into your personal account in the accreditation system, you should fill out personal information, upload a photo (according to the requirements), passport scan/photo, input the arrival date and time in Kazan (in case you need a meet and greet service), and submit an entry form.

4. “Active” status of your entry form implies its approval by the Organising Committee, so you can pick your badge upon presentation of passport in the accreditation centre (its working hours and location will be published at a later stage).

Should you fail to get access to the accreditation system or you have pending questions left, you may contact us via media.info@dspkazan.com

The presentation of the BRICS Sports Games took place in Moscow during “We are Together. Sport” Forum as part of the panel discussion “Sport in the BRICS Countries. Development of a Multipolar Sports World”. It was attended by Oleg Matytsin, Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, and Jesus Eduardo Gonzalez Reyes, a diver from Venezuela.

The Games will be held from 12 June to 23 June in Kazan. Over 5,000 participants are expected to take part in the tournament programme, consisting of competitions in 29 disciplines. Athletes will play for over 380 awards, a record number for the BRICS Games.

“In the field of sports, the BRICS countries adhere to the principle of fair and non-discriminatory admission of athletes, because our main task is to ensure equal opportunities for athletes from all countries to freely participate in sports competitions without restrictions and under the flag of their country. It bears emphasis that all BRICS countries have confirmed their participation in the Games. We do not aim to create alternative competitions; we uphold this position and strive to further strengthen our sports system. The national interest plays a key part here. Initially, the BRICS Games were supposed to be for the alliance countries only, but given the circumstances, we have decided to hold the competitions in an open format.

Over 50 countries will take part in the BRICS Games to compete in over 25 sports. In line with the business programme of the competition, we propose to sign the Kazan Charter for the Development of International Competitions between alliance member states” said Oleg Matytsin.

Bricsik the Leopard has been chosen as the Games Mascot. His name symbolises agility, strength, speed, and resilience. These are the qualities of real champions. Bricsik was born in Asia, just like the first BRICS Games, and then grew and developed alongside the tournament.

Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, noted that the Games will be held at 18 venues and Kazan has all the necessary infrastructure for a successful event.

“All the venues are built; they have been used for international and All-Russian competitions before. This is the first time the BRICS Games will be held in this format. Our goal is to create a quality product with a strong sporting component, which the next organisers could use as a reference” said Leonov.

Venezuelan national diving team athlete Jesus Eduardo Gonzalez Reyes said he expects the BRICS Games to be a colourful sporting event that will be enjoyed by all participants.

“The BRICS Sports Games is a significant event for athletes from Venezuela. My country will be represented in several disciplines in Kazan, which is a great honour and an opportunity to prove ourselves at the highest level. I am glad that the BRICS Games are open to all countries; there are no political restrictions at the tournament, and participants will be able to concentrate on sport and enjoy the atmosphere of the competition” Reyes added.

The BRICS Sport Ministers Meeting and the Sports Summit of Partner Ministers are scheduled to be held during the Games. Furthermore, the Games will see the launch of the BRICS Marathon League, which will bring together the biggest marathons of the alliance countries under the auspices of the biggest Russian races. In addition to the competitions, there will be a series of cultural events, including the Yoga Festival. The Games will culminate with a joint celebration of the Kazan Sabantuy.

Meeting of the Heads of Delegation to compete at the BRICS Games in June 2024 has begun in Kazan. Representatives of 35 countries are taking part in the meeting. Six delegations have arrived in Kazan, while the rest can join the meeting online.

The heads of the delegation are going to meet with the BRICS Games Organising Committee, discuss the sports programme of the competition, visa support, services, accreditation and registration, as well as look at the venues and infrastructure to be used at the tournament.

“This is the first time this kind of meeting is held before the BRICS Games. We are taking these Games up to the level of high-profile international tournaments. For three days, we will describe the services, show the venues and answer the questions of those coming to Kazan as participants of the BRICS Games. The heads of delegation will be able to get all the information they need. Many of them have not been to Tatarstan, and now they can see everything first hand” said Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan mentioned that the BRICS Games would present awards in more than 25 sports. The sports programme will be finally approved in May.

“We are willing to host the BRICS Games up the highest standards. This is our task, and we have every opportunity to do it. The best ones will compete at the level of the Russian national team at the BRICS Games in Kazan. We have agreed with the top performers of the national team in almost all sports” emphasized Vladimir Leonov.

The representatives of the delegations of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Venezuela, Congo, UAE and the Republic of Srpska arrived in Kazan to attend the meeting.

“Thank you very much for the chance to come to Kazan for the Meeting of the Heads of Delegation of the countries competing at the BRICS Games. Strengthening relations between Russia and Venezuela comes first for us, and sport is a tool to foster our friendship. Latin American countries would like to speak out for peace through sports in the global sports arena. Venezuela is going to compete in 9 disciplines at the BRICS Games and a team of 40-45 athletes will come to Kazan” said Pablo Alfonso Yustiz Araujo, Venezuelan Deputy Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.

Background:

The BRICS Games will be held in Kazan from 11 to 23 June 2024. About five thousand participants from more than 50 countries are expected to come. The sports programme includes competitions in the most popular sports in the BRICS countries. 18 sports venues will be used for the competitions.

A three-day meeting of the Heads of Delegation for the teams competing at the BRICS Games in June 2024 has ended in Kazan. The event was attended by the representatives of Ministries of Sport and National Federations from 35 countries. Delegations from Afghanistan, Bahrain, Venezuela, UAE, Republic of the Congo, and Republika Srpska flew to the capital of Tatarstan, while the rest joined the meeting online.

During the meeting, the Delegates visited the sports venues to be used in the Games; inspected the accommodation conditions for athletes in the Athletes Village along with available services; discussed the sports programme and issues related to accreditation, visas, etc.

“Heads of Delegation meeting was successful. We had a rich programme and the guests were satisfied with what they saw. We received positive and even enthusiastic feedback from the meeting participants on the sports infrastructure, accommodation, and services to be provided to them during the Games, and listened to their requests and suggestions.

We were pleased to share our extensive experience in organising competitions with the Heads of Delegation, and we had a useful and constructive dialogue. We look forward to seeing the participants of the BRICS Games in June. There is still a lot of work to be done, but we are confident that Kazan will host a remarkable sports celebration that will leave everyone happy” said Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan.

The Delegates also visited the Russian Swimming Championships currently held in Kazan and commended the infrastructure of the Aquatics Palace.

“We are very impressed with what we have seen in Kazan. Everything meets high international requirements. I am confident that Kazan is ready to host the BRICS Games. Everything we have seen in Kazan is of the best quality. We recognise that the BRICS Games are an event that is primarily aimed at friendship and the development of relations. In this light, we are ready to participate and expand our brotherly and friendly ties. There is no doubt that the BRICS Games have a bright future! These Competitions will only improve and develop in the future” said Jovan Prolić, Head of the Republika Srpska Delegation.

Background:

The BRICS Games will be held in Kazan from 11 to 23 June 2024. About five thousand participants from more than 50 countries are expected to come. The sports programme includes competitions in the most popular sports in the BRICS countries. 18 sports venues will be used for the competitions.

It is exactly 50 days to go to the start of the BRICS Games 2024, and today the ticket programme of the international tournament, which will be held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June, kicked off.

More than 4,500 participants from BRICS countries and invited states are expected to attend the BRICS Games. Leading athletes of the Russian national team such as world and European diving champion Evgeny Kuznetsov, multiple Olympic champion in artistic swimming Svetlana Kolesnichenko, Russian rhythmic gymnastics champion Lala Kramarenko and many others will perform in Kazan's sports arenas.

On 23 April, tickets for the following sports went on sale: swimming, artistic gymnastics, fencing, artistic swimming, judo, diving, badminton, karate, wrestling, sambo, wushu, koresh and belt wrestling.

Tickets are priced from 100 to 300 rubles. In total, the BRICS Games programme will include more than 20 sports. Tickets for the remaining disciplines will go on sale in May.

"The BRICS Games are a great opportunity for our athletes to showcase their talent and skills in the international arena, and I am very glad that the games will be held at our home in Russia, a country with a rich sporting legacy. It is especially pleasant that they will be held in such a beautiful city as Kazan. I'm looking forward to the start and I'm sure it will be a true celebration of sports with its own special atmosphere!" two-time Olympic fencing champion Sofia Velikaya declared.

"It’s 50 days to go to one of the main multi-sport tournaments of the summer, and I am very glad that this event will be held in Kazan. The city once again proves that it is the sports capital of Russia. Residents and guests of Kazan will once again be able to enjoy a cool sports spectacle and see the strongest athletes live", Olympic champion, volleyball player of the Russian national team and Zenit Kazan Maxim Mikhailov said.

"I am very glad that Kazan is hosting a major international tournament again. Badminton is very popular in the BRICS countries, and I am sure that there will be many interesting matches at the Games. We hope for a great result, because the home walls should help. We will be waiting for you, dear fans! Come watch badminton and cheer for your favourite athletes!" the badminton player of the Russian national team, winner of the European Championships Evgeniya Kosetskaya noted.

In addition to the competition, the audience will be able to enjoy a vibrant cultural programme, sessions with famous athletes, sports legends, as well as interactive shows.

You can purchase the first tickets for the BRICS Games 2024 in Kazan on the official website of the BRICS Games or on the website of the official partner of the tournament kassir.ru

Two-time Olympic saber fencing champion Sofia Velikaya and Olympic diving champion Ilya Zakharov became ambassadors of the BRICS Games.

Ambassadors’ initiation ceremony took place at the “Russia” exhibition‑forum at VDNH (All-Union Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy) within the framework of the plenary session “Opportunities of the future: long and active life. Sport”. The statuettes of the ambassadors were presented to the Olympic champions by the Minister of Sport of Russia Oleg Matytsin and Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan Vladimir Leonov.

“For me, as an active athlete, it is a great honour to become an ambassador of the BRICS Games – it is a great opportunity to show my talent and skills. It is important that such a tournament will be held in our country and it is especially great that the Games will be held in Kazan, which always hosts bright sports celebrations. I am proud to accept this great gesture and become an ambassador of the Games.” Sofia Velikaya declared.

According to Ilya Zakharov, the tournament will become a significant event in the global sport.

“I am very pleased to become an ambassador of the BRICS Games, because I am sure that these competitions will become a new round in world sports. Be sure to come and watch these competitions to support our athletes, it is especially important now.” Ilya Zakharov said.

According to Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, the BRICS Games proved to be a very popular tournament, as evidenced by the successful ticket sales kick-off.

“We launched the ticket sales for the competition last Tuesday – 50 days to go to the opening of the Games – and in just two days we have already sold 4,500 tickets out of about 100,000. We see a large sales geography, tickets are bought not only by people from Kazan and Tatarstan, but also by fans from all over the country and around the world.” Vladimir Leonov explained.

You can purchase the tickets for the BRICKS Games 2024 in Kazan on the official website of the BRICS Games or on the website of the official partner of the tournament kassir.ru

10,000 tickets have already been sold for the BRICS Games, which will be held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June.

Tickets for competitions in 13 sports went on sale on 23 April, priced from 100 to 300 rubles. Already now it is possible to purchase tickets for competitions in swimming, artistic gymnastics, fencing, artistic swimming, judo, diving, badminton, karate, wrestling, sambo, wushu, koresh and belt wrestling.

“We observe great interest in the BRICS Games competitions. Over just a few days, we have passed the 10,000 ticket mark.

It is worth noting that on 6-7 May, tickets for several more sports will go on sale. Athletics, rhythmic gymnastics, beach volleyball, basketball, boxing, table tennis, rowing, tennis, weightlifting will be among them.

We recommend you do not take too long with the purchase. Especially now you can get them at very affordable prices” the Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan Vladimir Leonov said.

You can purchase tickets for the BRICS Games 2024 in Kazan on the official website of the BRICS Games or on the website of the official partner of the tournament kassir.ru

The anniversary 10^th Ak Bars Bank Kazan Marathon will be held on 10-12 May in Kazan.

Over two days, 30,000 participants from 17 countries will compete at distances of 3 km, 10 km, 21.1 km, and 42.2 km. There will also be 300 and 600 metre races for children, and a 40 metre TIMERBABY race for toddlers.

The Russian Marathon Championship featuring leading Russian athletes will take place as part of the 10^th Ak Bars Bank Kazan Marathon. The 10 km distance will be covered by Denis Dorokhov, popular Russian comedian and actor, alongside other sports enthusiasts.

The BRICS Games 2024 became partners of the Ak Bars Bank Kazan Marathon. On 10 May, the Games Mascot, Bricsik the Leopard, will take part in the TIMERKIDS children’s races, where everyone will be able to meet and take photos with the hero of the upcoming international competitions in Kazan.

On 11 May, the Parade of Nations: Towards the BRICS Games will take place at the Trudovye Rezervy Stadium, with more than 150 people attending. The participants will march with the flags of their countries, the regions of Russia, and the districts of the Republic of Tatarstan. Popular bands “Otpetye Moshenniki” and “Murakami” will perform in a concert on the occasion of the Kazan Marathon.

From 9 to 12 May, the BRICS Games Photo Zone will be located at the Kazan Marathon EXPO (Central Stadium Indoor Track, 2a, Tashayak St.), where visitors can get commemorative prizes and learn more about the most anticipated sporting event of the summer of 2024.

The Kazan Marathon is a member of the BRICS Marathon League, a project that unites the largest marathons in Russia (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan), as well as in Brazil, India, China, South Africa, and other BRICS Countries in the near future.

Reference: The BRICS Games will be held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June. More than 4,500 participants from the BRICS Countries and invited nations are expected to compete in over 20 sports.

The renovated sports venues in Kazan will welcome Russian national team leaders such as Evgeny Kuznetsov, world and European diving champion; Svetlana Kolesnichenko, multiple Olympic artistic swimming champion; Yana Egorian, two-time Olympic sabre fencing champion; Lala Kramarenko, Russian rhythmic gymnastics champion; and Niyaz Ilyasov, Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist in judo.

Tickets for the Games athletics competitions are on sale from 7 May.

To purchase tickets and learn more about the BRICS Games 2024, please visit https://bricskazan2024.games/ru

“Champion 1” by Filatov & Karas became the official song of the BRICS Games 2024 to be held in Kazan. The track chorus was sung by Lev Leshchenko, People’s Artist of the RSFSR.

This song is not just a sports anthem, but also a motivational support for everyone. It encourages people not to give up even in hardships.

The BRICS Games 2024 will be held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June. About 5,000 athletes from more than 60 countries will gather in the capital of Tatarstan to compete in 27 sports.

The artists will perform the official song of the BRICS Games today at the event “Vecherniy Zvuk” (Evening Sound). https://vk.com/video-36259836_456240459

From 7 June, the song will be released on all music platforms available in Russia.

Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister, held a meeting of the BRICS Sports Games Organising Committee. The Games will be held from 12 to 23 June in Kazan. The meeting was also attended by Igor Levitin, Aide to the President; Aleksey Morozov, Deputy Minister of Sport; Aleksey Pesoshin, Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan; Shamil Gafarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Staff of the Office of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan; and Oleg Matytsin, External adviser to the Prime Minister.

“The Russian Federation chairs the BRICS alliance in 2024, so this platform is of the utmost importance to our country under the current circumstances. So far, 97 countries have already confirmed their participation in the BRICS Games, which are held on the instructions of the President Vladimir Putin and form an integral component of our country’s chairmanship plan. The upcoming competitions shall be arranged at the highest level. Kazan has vast experience in organising international sporting events. This year, the capital city of Tatarstan has successfully hosted the Games of the Future, and I hope that this tradition will live on with the BRICS Games” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

He reminded about 12 days to go to the Games opening, so it is necessary to complete all preparatory activities.

Aleksey Morozov, Deputy Minister of Sport of the Russian Federation, made a report on the implementation of measures related to the preparations for the BRICS Sports Games.

“The invitational campaign has been concluded. Entry forms from representatives of 97 countries have been received. We expect about 5 thousand participants, including more than 4 thousand foreign participants. Russian Ministry of Sport has finalised the sports programme with account for the entries received, as tasked by the Organising Committee. The programme comprises 27 sports” he said.

The Deputy Minister also spoke about the upcoming BRICS Sport Ministers Meeting, which is scheduled for 22 June: “The participation of the Ministers from China, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Iran, as well as representatives of the Ministers from India, South Africa, and Brazil has been confirmed. It is planned to discuss topical issues and prospects for further development of sports co-operation between the countries of the alliance, as well as the launch of joint projects in the BRICS space.”

Russia has also developed and proposed the BRICS Kazan Sports Charter to its partners. The Charter regulates the goals, principles, and areas of sports cooperation in the BRICS space, provides for the mechanism of their implementation, as well as the conditions for the Games to be organised by the BRICS chair country.

In addition, the issue of monetary remuneration for Russian athletes, winners and runners-up of the BRICS Games, as well as coaches and experts has been worked out.

“I would like to thank you for your trust and the opportunity to organise this event on the territory of the Republic. Tatarstan has carried out extensive work during the preparations for the Games, and all ministries and agencies have been involved in the process to the maximum extent possible. We assure you that we will make every effort to hold the BRICS Games at the top organisational level and we will fulfil all our obligations” said Aleksey Pesoshin.

Likee, leading short video community, has become the official media partner of the BRICS Games 2024.

During the tournament, Likee together with the official BRICS Games account (Likee ID: kazan2024_brics) will launch the #BRICS2024 challenge, which will allow more users to participate and delight in the sport through a special filter with the image of Bricsik, the BRICS Games Mascot. Likee bloggers will visit Kazan and capture newsworthy moments of the competition and behind-the-scenes footage.

“We are very excited to team up with the BRICS Games, another great sporting event of 2024, following our successful collaboration with the Games of the Future in March” said Dmitry Shcherbinin, CEO of the Likee Russia social network. “Sport has always been one of the pillars of our content as a community, and it is also closely linked to our activities to promote both physical and mental health of our users, especially among the younger generation. It is worth mentioning that sports celebrities, including Football Club Zenit and figure skating champion Kamila Valieva, have joined Likee, and we also welcome new creators and sports fans to make quality content and meet like-minded friends on our platform.”

The BRICS Games will be held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June. More than 5,000 athletes from over 60 countries will play for about 400 sets of awards in 27 sports.

“We are very pleased that Likee, which is actively developing in our country and attracting a young audience, has become the media partner of the BRICS Games. The BRICS Games are an upcoming celebration of sport that should be of particular interest to young people: renovated sports venues, the best athletes from Russia and the world. Surely, we hope that as many people as possible will enjoy the Games by coming to Kazan. But if for some reason they cannot make it, we will be happy to share the most intriguing competition footage on social media so that everyone can experience what the BRICS Games are all about” said Mikhail Leonov, Deputy Director General of the ANO “Directorate for Sports and Social Projects”.

Tickets for the BRICS Games 2024 in Kazan can be purchased on the BRICS Games official website (https://tickets.bricskazan2024.games) or on kassir.ru, the tournament’s official partner.

Background:

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A session entitled “BRICS – New Opportunities for Multipolar Sports Development” was held in St. Petersburg as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The session was attended by Mikhail Degtyarev, Minister of Sport of Russia; Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan; Dmitry Tarasov, Head of the BRICS Marathon League; and Nikita Nagorny, Olympic champion.

Mikhail Degtyarev noted that the BRICS Games are not an alternative to the Olympic Games, but a new format of sports interaction between the countries, which promotes the development of the sports agenda. The Minister emphasised that the BRICS countries have been contesting with each other since 2016 as a form of a healthy tradition.

Vladimir Leonov further commented on the high competition expected at the tournament.

“We have engaged top athletes to participate in the Games. Belarus will arrive first, and there will be large delegations from China, India, and Uzbekistan. The competition will be tough, the stakes have never been higher. A lot of teams will arrive to make these Games truly worthwhile”, said Vladimir Leonov.

“The international competitions that are organised in our country are the only thing that makes me go and hit the gym these days. The BRICS Games are the most important motivation for us to train and the primary reason to continue our careers”, shared Nikita Nagorny.

It should be noted that during the session, an initiation ceremony of the Olympic champions Alina Zagitova and Alexander Povetkin as the BRICS Games Ambassadors took place.

“I am very pleased to be the Ambassador of the BRICS Games. I hope that in the future there will be a winter format of this tournament that includes figure skating among the disciplines. I am sure that this will increase the popularity of our sport in Africa and South America”, said Alina Zagitova.

The BRICS Games will be held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June. About 5,000 athletes from 97 countries are expected to participate. Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the BRICS Games official website or on kassir.ru, the tournament’s official partner.

Participants of the upcoming BRICS Games 2024 keep arriving in Kazan. A large delegation from Venezuela landed in the capital city of Tatarstan today. The team consists of 41 athletes. The Venezuelan team will participate in 12 sports of the BRICS Games, including chess, weightlifting, swimming, karate, diving, boxing, fencing, and others.

“We are proud that Venezuelan athletes get to represent their country at the BRICS Games. We put our hopes in the karate and phygital football competitions. It stands to reason that the BRICS Games held in Kazan are aimed at uniting many countries and establishing friendship among us. And, of course, this is a great chance for athletes to show their abilities to the best advantage”, said Pablo Yustiz, the Head of the Venezuelan delegation at the BRICS Games.

Venezuela will be represented at the BRICS Games by Yorgelis Salazar, world ranking leader in karate in the 50 kg weight category.

“I have been extensively preparing for these Games, and last week I won a tournament in Morocco. I am a little tired, but still determined to claim another victory in Kazan. There will be serious competition at the BRICS Games. Although I am the ranking leader, Kazan will feature top-level athletes from Turkey, Russia, Egypt, and Kazakhstan. I already visited Russia in 2022 for the tournament in Moscow, but I did not become the first then. I hope that I will be able to win in Kazan!” said the athlete.

Venezuelan team became the best in the Phygital Football qualifying tournament at the Games of the Future in Kazan in February, and they aim to emulate their success at the BRICS Games.

“This is a great opportunity for all the athletes from Venezuela to prove ourselves to the world. We have been preparing for the BRICS Games for a very long time, honing our teamwork for over three months. We will make every effort to achieve our goal: to win medals at the Games and bring joy to the people of Venezuela! I am confident that we will perform well. I missed the Games of the Future, but many players from our team participated”, said Daniel Molina, player of the Venezuelan national phygital football team.

Kazan will welcome a few other large delegations of the BRICS Games participants in the coming days according to Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan. All venues are ready to host the competitions.

The BRICS Games will be held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June. About 5,000 athletes from 97 countries are expected to participate. Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the BRICS Games official website or on kassir.ru, the tournament’s official partner.

More and more participants of the upcoming BRICS Games 2024 are arriving at Kazan every day. Delegations from Brazil, Burkina Faso, and Mali were welcomed this morning with all the honours and celebrations at the Athletes’ Village, place of accommodation of the athletes, and the Russian national artistic gymnastics team checked into their rooms a few hours later.

The Brazilian team comprises over 100 athletes. They will take part in competitions among 12 sports, including badminton, judo, karate, table tennis, swimming, fencing, and others.

“The mood is great, I am very happy to represent Brazil at this tournament”, said badminton player Pedro Mendonça. “This is my first time in Russia, I know a little about this country, but it sure is interesting to be here. I know that the 2018 FIFA World Cup was held here. It was not easy to qualify for the Games, so I am super exited to participate. My main competition is Sergey Sirant from Russia, as well as Chinese athletes. They are also quite advanced.”

The Republic of Mali will be represented at the BRICS Games 2024 by a team of four badminton players, while the Burkina Faso team includes badminton players and track and field athletes.

“This is my first time in Russia but I have heard a lot about this country. I have watched a lot of videos about your country on TV and YouTube”, said Boubacar Traoré, Mali team badminton coach. “Russia and Mali have been establishing co-operation as of late, and Russia is a good friend to my country. I would like Mali to become the first African country to win in badminton, but we have some worthy opponents.”

The Russian national artistic gymnastics team has one of the most distinguished squads of all the BRICS Games teams. The Head of the Delegation is Nikita Nagorny, who won Olympic team gold in 2020 Tokyo and is a multiple European world champion. At the BRICS Games 2024, he will be joined by his colleagues from the Tokyo champion team: David Belyavskiy and Artur Dalaloyan, European and world championship winners; Angelina Melnikova, Olympic gold medallist; and other star athletes.

“Kazan is a special city for me. I will enjoy every second of performing at the BRICS Games. We are counting on a victory. We have assembled the strongest team: Olympic champions, world champions, but there are also some rookies for whom this will be the first international tournament. The atmosphere of the international event is incredible; it’s so important for us to live and exist as a team now, I really missed that”, said Nikita Nagorny.

“We expect only the best from this competition. Kazan is a gymnastic city, where the welcome is very warm and there are always a lot of fans”, commented Artur Dalaloyan.

The BRICS Games badminton and artistic gymnastics competitions will start on 13 June. Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the BRICS Games official website or on kassir.ru, the tournament’s official partner.

The Opening Ceremony of the BRICS Sports Games, held in Russia for the first time in history, took place in the Concert Hall n.a. I. Shakirov at Kazan Expo on 12 June. Around 4,000 athletes from more than 90 countries all over the world will participate in the Games. The athletes will compete in 27 sports at 17 sports venues in Kazan and Moscow.

The official part of the Ceremony took off with a video message from the President of the Russian Federation – Vladimir Putin.

«Friends, I am delighted to welcome participants and guests of the BRICS Sports Games in Russia.

For two weeks, the competitions will bring together over 3,000 athletes from almost 100 states. I am confident that this large-scale sports festival will demonstrate the triumph of universal values of sport, equal opportunities and an honest and uncompromising struggle.

The hospitable, distinctive and unique Kazan and Moscow are hosting the BRICS Sports Games. These cities boast a rich history, a multi-ethnic culture and traditions. At the same time, these modern cities are gearing for the future.

All this aligns with the spirit and nature of BRICS, an association of sovereign countries which are developing dynamically, yet retain their identity.

They jointly address large-scale objectives and provide an example of truly partner-like and equitable relations, based on trust, strong friendship and respect for each other’s interests.

I would like to note that the Sports Games, held under the auspices of our organization, are an important part of multilateral political, economic and humanitarian interaction. The role of BRICS in global affairs continues to increase rapidly. I am therefore confident that the Games, as a competition free from political interference and pressure that truly unites athletes from around the world, will become more popular and attractive. All the more so as they will be held in an open format for the first time this year. Consequently, the Games will become yet another symbol of expanding inter-cultural dialogue, making a weighty contribution to strengthening friendship among nations and facilitating interstate interaction in the interests of people and universal development.

I wish successful starts and brilliant victories to athletes and their mentors, and bright and unforgettable impressions to spectators and fans.

I hereby declare the 2024 BRICS Sport Games open!»

The Ceremony by tradition included a parade of athletes from more than 90 countries. Some of the participants will compete for the first medals of the BRICS Games tomorrow, on 13 June. The colourful costume performance featured the State Chamber Choir and State Song and Dance Ensemble of the Republic of Tatarstan, along with Honoured and People’s Artists of the Republic – Elmira Kalimullina, Gulnora Gatina, Anton Polodyuk and others, as well as popular music and dance ensembles.

During the Opening Ceremony, the audience traveled through a metaphorical universe and discovered a new star: the star of the BRICS Games. Through the exuberant performances, the visitors were immersed into the times of the Volga Bulgaria, where caravans, guided by the stars, followed the Great Silk Road, all the while increasing their knowledge, enriching the cultures and traditions of their countries, and strengthening international ties.

After that, the spectators got to see the works of the Russian artists, musicians, and writers, and learn more about the achievements of Soviet scientists, as well as the courage and bravery of pioneers, who opened new worlds and discovered new limits of possibilities for us.

Whereas the brightest stars in the modern Universe are sports stars: people who lead by example, demonstrating the strength of the human spirit and our endless abilities. It is the participants of the BRICS Games who are the new stars of the world sport – the beacons for future generations!

On June 13, the first competition day of the BRICS Games will determine the medal winners in five sports - synchronized swimming, sambo, wushu, weightlifting and artistic gymnastics. Badminton, tennis and table tennis tournaments will also start, while qualifying heats will be held in rowing.

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING

Synchronized swimmers will start their performances at the Aquatics Palace. A total of 11 sets of medals will be awarded in synchronized swimming at the BRICS Games. Svetlana Kolesnichenko, multiple Olympic champion, winner of world and European championships, two-time world champion Maya Doroshko, world champion Alexander Maltsev and other Russian athletes will perform in Kazan. Their rivals will be the main team of the DPRK, synchronized swimmers from Kazakhstan, Belarus, Venezuela, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

On Thursday, they will compete for awards in three events:

solo, women's and men's technical program (beginning of performances at 10.00)

duet, technical program (15.00)

acrobatic group (19.00)

SAMBO

Sport sambo competitions are starting at the Ak Bars Wrestling Palace. More than 120 strongest athletes from Abkhazia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Brazil, Venezuela, Egypt, Israel, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan will fight for 14 sets of medals.

The Russian national team will be represented in all weight categories, the team was selected based on the results of the championship of Russia under 24 years old. Among the participants there are enough experienced and already titled rivals. Tatyana Matsko, multiple world and European champion and medalist, and Daniela Zhdan, world champion, will compete for the national team of the Republic of Belarus, Zhamalbek Asylbek Uulu, world champion, will compete for Kyrgyzstan, and Aram Aghajanyan and Vahagn Chalyan, medalists of the World Championship-2023, will compete for the Armenian team.

The competitions will start on June 13 at 11:00 with preliminary bouts for men (58 kg, 64 kg, 71 kg, 79 kg) and women (50 kg, 54 kg, 59 kg). The finals in these weight categories will be held in the evening part of the program.

WUSHU

The TATNEFT Arena will host the first wushu bouts of the BRICS Wushu Games. The competitions include individual championships in two basic disciplines Taolu (men and women in 12 styles) and Sanda (men in six weight categories and women in four). More than 130 athletes from 14 countries, including Russia, Armenia,
Brazil, Venezuela, Egypt, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Cuba, Egypt and others, will compete for awards.

The Russian national team includes: world champions and winners of the BRICS Sports Games Sandra Konstantinova and Pavel Muratov, winner of the BRICS Sports Games Kirill Bondarenko, European champion Japar Magomedov. Among the foreign participants we can mention Brazilian Beatriz Silva, winner of the Pan American Games and vice world champion; Davit Vardanyan, Arsen Bagryan, Davit Isakhanyan, champions of Europe-2024 in the national team of Armenia. The participants will also include athletes from China, who are traditionally strong in this sport.

On June 13, preliminary bouts will be held in 4 weight categories for women (48kg, 56kg, 65kg and 70kg) and 6 for men (52kg, 56kg, 65kg, 75kg and 85kg). They will start at 10.00.

In the evening part of the program there will be final competitions in qianshu, nandao and gongshu for men, and in dao shu, nangun and taiji jian for women. They will start at 16.00.

ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS

12 sets of prizes will be awarded at the BRICS Games in artistic gymnastics - men's and women's individual all-around and individual disciplines. More than 100 athletes from Russia, Belarus, Malaysia, Serbia, Syria, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Kazakhstan and other countries are expected to participate.

Russia will be represented at the competitions in Kazan by the leaders of the national team: Olympic champions Nikita Nagorny, David Belyavsky, Artur Dalaloyan and Angelina Melnikova. The BRICS Games will also feature Russian champion Daniel Marinov, World Cup medalist Alena Tsitavets from the Republic of Belarus, world championship participants from Thailand, Turkey, Mongolia and others.

On Thursday, on the first day of the competition at the Gymnastics Center will be held qualifying competitions (beginning at 11.30) and finals in individual all-around.

WEIGHTLIFTING

120 participants will compete for 10 sets of medals in weightlifting. Among the participants are athletes from Russia, Iran, UAE, Tajikistan, Pakistan and other countries. Competitions in this sport will be held in SC "Tulpar". Men will be awarded in the weight categories of 61kg, 73kg, 89kg, 102kg and 102+kg, and women - in the weight categories of 49kg, 59kg, 71kg, 81kg and 81+kg.

Darya Naumova, Olympic silver medalist from Belarus, and two-time world champion Artem Okulov and European champion Olga Tyo from the Russian national team will compete at the Games in Kazan.

On June 13, medals in the weight categories of 49 kg and 59 kg for women, 61 kg and 73 kg for men will be played. The competitions will start at 11.00.

BADMINTON

The BRICS Games badminton tournaments in men's and women's singles and doubles start at the Badminton Center. The program also includes a mixed doubles tournament, and the participants will play for a total of 5 sets of awards.

Kazan will host 200 athletes from Russia, the Republic of Belarus, Brazil, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and a number of other countries. The Russian team includes Sergey Sirant and Evgenia Kosetskaya, participants of the Tokyo Olympics.

On Thursday the games in subgroups will be held. Meetings start at 10.00.

TENNIS

The Kazan Tennis Academy will host the men's and women's team tournaments. A total of 96 people will compete for two sets of awards. Tennis tournaments consist of group and final stages. Athletes will represent such countries as Russia, Uzbekistan, Iran, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and others.

The group stage will be held from June 13 to 16, the final games will be held from June 17 to 19. The start of matches on Thursday - 10.00.

TABLE TENNIS

151 participants from 16 countries of the BRICS Games will compete for 4 sets of medals in table tennis. The tournaments will be held at the Boxing and Table Tennis Center in men's and women's singles and team events.

Russia will be represented in the tournament by Nikita Artemenko, Maxim Grebnev, Lev Katsman, Vladimir Sidorenko and Kirill Skachkov. The women's team includes Elisabeth Abrahamyan, Vlada Voronina, Polina Mikhailova, Yana Noskova and Polina Mikhailova.

The Russian athletes will face teams from China, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Iran, Venezuela and other countries. The tournament will start with 1/8 finals, the beginning of games at 10.00. Final matches will be held in the team tournament on June 14.

ROWING SPORT

Rowing competitions at the BRICS Games in Kazan will be held at the Rowing Center from June 13 to 16. More than 150 athletes from Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan, UAE, Pakistan, Serbia and Uzbekistan will compete for 16 sets of awards. They will compete in eight disciplines of rowing - single, double doubles and without a helmsman, four doubles and without a helmsman, as well as eight with a helmsman, and all this in two weight categories.

Among the athletes who will perform at the upcoming Games are silver medalist of the World Championships, winner and medalist of the World Cup stages Artem Kosov, multiple European champion and World Cup 2012 medalist Alena Furman, winner of the World Cup stage Tatiana Goncharova from the Republic of Belarus, three-time Asian champion Mahsa Javer, Asian Games winners Alisher Turdiev and Shahboz Kholmurzaev from Uzbekistan, winners of youth and junior European and world championships, participants of the Olympic Games and other prestigious international competitions.

On Thursday, at 11.00 a.m., the preliminary heats for 2000 meters for men and women in single, double without rudder and single - lightweight will begin. The finals in these disciplines will be held on June 14.

Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the official website of the BRICS Games or on the website of the official partner of the tournament kassir.ru.

The first gold medalists of the BRICS Games 2024 in Kazan are Svetlana Kolesnichenko and Alexander Maltsev of the Russian national artistic swimming team.

Svetlana Kolesnichenko, a multiple Olympic champion, won the solo technical routine. She scored 313.69 points and won the gold medal. Vasilina Khandoshka from Belarus was second with 296.475 points; the bronze went to Diana Onkes from Uzbekistan (229.9334).

“The mood is great, I tried to make these emotions come through at the competition. It’s very nice to have so many fans in Kazan to support us on a weekday. I’m always self-critical but I liked my performance, though there are some things that can be improved. The most important thing for me is to live up to the coach’s task, I want to show our best performance.

I’m grateful to Kazan for having everything organised and everything goes at the highest level as always. This city is like my second home”, Svetlana enthused after her victory.

Alexander Maltsev, four-time world champion, showed the best result in the men’s solo technical routine: 267.3216 points. He was ahead of the athlete from Thailand, Kantinan Adisaisiributr (209.9967).

“When we perform, we aim for a good run. We never aim to win a medal of any merit. First of all, we strive to give a good performance. I want to wish the fans to fall in love with artistic swimming. I’m very happy to see so many spectators at the BRICS Games. Stay with us, it’s very appreciated and encouraging”, Alexander said.

The artistic swimming competitions will continue today at the BRICS Games with routines of duets and acrobatic routine.

On June 14, the second competition day of the BRICS Games in Kazan will determine the champions in artistic gymnastics, sambo, synchronized swimming, wushu, rowing, karate and table tennis. In total, athletes will play for 40 sets of medals.

KARATE

The karate competitions at the BRICS 2024 Games begin. They will last two days - June 14-15. More than 220 athletes from 19 countries, including Russia, Brazil, China, UAE, Venezuela, Bahrain, Egypt, Kazakhstan, Turkey, India and others, will compete for championship titles. For men and women, there are bouts in five weight categories, as well as performances in the Kata discipline.

Russia will be represented by the leaders of the national team - Ernest Sharafutdinov, Ilya Savin, Eduard Gasparyan, Anna Kudryavtseva, Altana Basangova, Anastasia Chupina and others.

The competitions will start at 10:00 and will be held at the St. Petersburg Volleyball Center. During the day six sets of medals will be played: "Kata" for women, as well as bouts for men (60, 67 and 75 kg) and women (50, 55 kg). The finals will begin at 18:30.

ARTISTIC GYMNASTICS

The Gymnastics Center will host the final competitions in individual disciplines: vault and uneven bars for women; floor exercise, pommel horse and rings - for men. The performances will start at 15:00.

Olympic champions Nikita Nagorny, David Belyavsky, Artur Dalaloyan and Angelina Melnikova will compete for medals, as well as winners of the BRICS 2024 Games in all-round events Daniel Marinov and Leila Vasilyeva, World Cup medalist Alyona Tsitavets from Belarus, athletes from Thailand, Turkey and Mongolia.

TABLE TENNIS

The Boxing and Table Tennis Center will host the medals in the men's and women's table tennis team tournaments on Friday. China-India and Russia-Iran will meet in the women's semifinals. In men's table tennis, the Russian athletes will face the team of the Republic of Belarus, and China will play with Iran.

Matches ½ finals and for 5-8 places will start at 10:00. Spectators will be able to watch the final matches, which will determine the strongest in team competitions, from 17:30.

SAMBO

The sambo competition program of the BRICS Games will end on Friday. Seven sets of awards will be played - in weight categories of 65 kg, 72 kg, 80 kg and over 80 kg for women and in 88 kg, 98 kg and over 98 kg for men.

From 11:00 at the Ak Bars Wrestling Palace there will be preliminary bouts and consolation bouts, as well as bouts for 3rd places. Finals will begin at 16:30. Particular attention of the audience will be paid to the World 2023 champion Daniela Zhdan from Belarus and Russian Ksenia Zadvornova, as well as to the world champion from Kyrgyzstan Zhamalbek Asylbek Uulu.

SYNCHRONIZED SWIMMING

On Friday, five more sets of medals will be awarded in synchronized swimming at the Aquatics Palace.

Athletes from Russia, DPRK, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Venezuela, Thailand and Uzbekistan will compete for places on the podium in three events:

solo, women's and men's free program (beginning of performances at 10:00);

duet, free program for women and technical program for mixed pairs (15:00);

group, technical program (19:00).

ROWING SPORTS

In rowing on June 14, six sets of awards will be played. At 10:00, the semifinal heats for 2000 meters in single, double without rudder and single lightweight for men and women will start. The top athletes and squads will compete in the final heats at 3:00 p.m. on the same day. The competition will be held at the Rowing Sports Center.

WUSHU

In wushu, the second day of competition will begin at 10:00 with quarterfinal matches among men (52, 56, 60, 65, 75 and 85 kg) and women (48, 56, 65 and 70 kg). And from 16:00 will start the final competitions in Taiji Jian, Changquan and Nanquan for men, and Nandao, Gongshu and Jianshu for women.

TENNIS

Men's and women's team tournaments are gaining momentum at the Kazan Tennis Academy. 96 athletes continue to fight for 2 sets of awards.

The group stage at the BRICS Games will be held until June 16, the final games in the team tournament will be held from June 17 to 19. The start of the matches on Friday is 10.00.

BADMINTON

The men's and women's badminton competitions will continue at the BRICS Games Badminton Center. In the morning from 10.00 a.m. games in subgroups in doubles and mixed doubles will be held, and at 15.00 a.m. matches up to 1/2 finals in singles will begin.

In total, participants will play 5 sets of awards, and the first final matches will be held this Sunday, June 16.

Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the official website of the BRICS Games or on the website of the official partner of the tournament kassir.ru.

The winners of the first medals of the BRICS Games 2024 in Kazan were announced on 13 June.

The first BRICS Games medals were won by the Russian artistic swimming team, which became the best in the women’s and men’s solo technical routines this morning.

Svetlana Kolesnichenko beat Vasilina Khandoshka from Belarus and Diana Onkes from Uzbekistan, adding another gold to her ample collection of victories. Alexander Maltsev, a multiple world champion, received the best marks from the judges and also became the winner of the BRICS Games, having scored more points than the athlete from Thailand, Kantinan Adisaisiributr.

“We only have two days of competition, or rather, three, officially, but our pair performs for two. That is, we’re already finishing tomorrow. On the one hand, it’s very convenient because of the fast starts. On the other hand, we don’t have much time to revel in the atmosphere of the Games.

I’m very grateful to Kazan. As always, the competitions are held at the highest level, everything is perfectly organised. Kazan is my second home, I’m always happy to come here. Thank you very much!” said Svetlana Kolesnichenko.

The duet Kolesnichenko – Mayya Doroshko was the best in the technical routine with a score of 304.0783 points. Anastasiya Dabravolskaya and Aliaksandra Mironchyk from Belarus took the second place, while the bronze medal was won by athletes from DPRK: Pak Hyon A and Yun Kyong Ryong. Russian artistic swimmers Anastasiia Bakhtyreva, Tatiana Gayday, Daria Geloshvili, Ekaterina Kossova, Varvara Kreopalova, Elizaveta Minaeva, Elizaveta Smirnova, and Agniia Tulupova also won in the acrobatic routine.

The champions scored 280.6800 points. The second place was taken by Belarusian athletes with 210.3266 points. The third place went to the team from Thailand who scored 204.2334 points.

Further on the first competition day, the winners of the individual all-around were determined among the BRICS Games participants in artistic gymnastics. Two-time Russian champion Daniel Marinov won the men’s event with a score of 84.700. His compatriot and Olympic champion Artur Dalaloyan came second (79.950 points), while the bronze medal went to Yahor Sharamkou of Belarus (77.950). Olympic champion Nikita Nagornyy withdrew from the all-around due to a hand injury sustained during his performance on bars.

“The support of the home stands helped me cope with the trepidation; this was my first time on the international stage after all,” admitted Daniel Marinov. “I couldn’t sleep after breakfast today, although I have no problem turning in and getting some rest at training camps. But today I barely got any shuteye at all, and there was agitation, palpitations until I passed two apparatus. I calmed down only after the horizontal bar exercise: all the extra sweat came out; I battled it out, got through, and everything felt right.”

“The setting is definitely close to the Olympic Games, the European festivals where we performed, and to the Gymnasiade in Brazil, where many athletes from different countries meet and compete on an international level. So, it’s perfectly similar, feels great,” said Artur Dalaloyan.

Leyla Vasilyeva of Russia became the best performer in the women’s all-around, scoring 56.450 points after four exercises. Another Russian athlete, Anna Kalmykova (56.100 points), won the silver medal, and Kira Maharevich (48.750) from the Republic of Belarus rounded off the top three. The artistic gymnastics competitions in individual events will be held on 14 and 15 June.

Seven sets of medals were awarded at the sambo competitions during the BRICS Games in Kazan on Thursday. Sofia Emelyukova (under 50 kg) and Elmira Kakhramanova (under 59 kg) of Russia, as well as Bayarmaa Nekhiitbaatar (under 54 kg) of Mongolia won gold medals in the women’s event. The men’s winners were Pavel Ivanov (under 58 kg), Kirill Bazhin (under 64 kg), and Daniil Orlov (under 79 kg) of Russia, as well as Ubaydillo Muminov (under 71 kg) of Uzbekistan.

“I’m very happy to win this competition,” Sofia Emelyukova enthused. “It’s so cool that it was held here in Russia. I was counting on the first place: I’ve been preparing for the BRICS Games for a month and a half with no breaks, and I succeeded.”

The sambo competitions will end on 14 June, when the winners in seven more weight categories will be determined.

The 1/8 Finals of the men’s 56 kg, 60 kg, and 65 kg Sanda bouts were held on the first day of the BRICS Games wushu competitions, and six sets of awards were given for performances in different styles of the Taolu discipline. In the Daoshu programme, Sandra Konstantinova of Russia took the title. In Nangun, the gold went to Qi Zhou from China. Anastasiia Kadenova from Russia won in Taijiquan style.

The men’s results are as follows: Pavel Muratov (Russia) won in Qiangshu; Zhuhang Xu (China) won in Gunshu; and Luhao Tang (China) won in Nandao.

“Performing at international competitions is a totally different thing compared to Russian tournaments. Our federation tried to hold championships in Moscow, so we stayed in shape; we didn’t fall down, but got up,” said Sandra Konstantinova, the winner of the BRICS Games. “We can rest a while now, but tomorrow we have more competitions, and so on for three more days. But I’m very happy. We’ve come a long way, we’ve been training for these Games since forever. And, although I have won both the World and European Championships in the past, these Games felt the most important.”

The BRICS Games weightlifting competitions began at Tulpar Sports Complex on Thursday. The participants fought for medals in four weight categories.

Elizaveta Zhatkina won in the women’s up to 49 kg category. The Russian champion showed a result of 171 kg on the sum of snatch and jerk. Her compatriot Polina Andreeva (162 kg) won the silver medal, while Victoria Nazareth Tovar Milano (143 kg) of Venezuela took the bronze.

Alina Shchapanova of Belarus celebrated success in the category up to 59 kg with a total of 218 kg. Olga Tyo (212 kg) of Russia was second and Yuliya Hulina (198 kg), another Belarusian athlete, was third.

In the men’s event, Haider Sultan won Pakistan’s first medal at the BRICS Games in the men’s 61 kg category. He lifted 261 kg. Oleg Musokhranov (260 kg) of Russia came second and his compatriot Elkan Gvazava (258 kg) took the third place.

“I came to the Games to win and didn’t even think about silver or bronze,” said champion Haider Sultan. “I really enjoyed the BRICS Games. Very good competition, everything’s at a top level. I’m very happy to have competed in Kazan. It’s a beautiful city, which stroke a chord with me. I have only the kindest words for the BRICS Games organisers as well. Everything is really amazing.”

Zulfat Garaev of Russia, the bronze medallist of the 2021 World Championship, became the champion in the up to 73 kg category with 336 kg. The second place went to another Russian, Sergey Petrov (332 kg), while Vadzim Likharad (326 kg) of Belarus took the bronze.

“It was especially satisfying to win at home. I counted on success, though I could’ve done better. After the record snatch I paced my emotions as there was still a jerk exercise ahead. But after nailing the jerk I was over the moon. The Games are the most serious competition this year. I’m glad to see such a start in Russia, so many countries came! This is a very valuable medal for me, I’d like to dedicate it to my family,” Zulfat Garaev said.

Preliminary heats were held in rowing at the BRICS Games. Aleksandr Yakovlev (Russia), Mekhrojbek Mamatkulov (Uzbekistan), and Anastasia Lyubich (Russia) were the leaders in their respective groups in the single sculls. The lightweight singles were dominated by Mikita Karneyeu (Belarus), Aleksandr Tufanyuk (Russia), and Anastasia Lebedeva (Russia).

Pair competitions have also started. Russian athletes took the top two places among men and women, with the winning pairs Ilya Ivanov and Ivan Kladov and Marina Rubtsova and Valentina Plaksina.

“The BRICS Games are a very important event in the sport world. It’s a very significant tournament that unites people from many countries. I’m glad that rowing is represented at the Games,” shared Puneet Kumar, a competitor from India.

The semi-finalists of the BRICS Games have been determined in table tennis team competitions. The Russian national team made it to the top four in both men’s and women’s tournaments. Russian tennis players defeated Tajikistan 3-0, while the men’s team also defeated Bahrain. Teams from India, Iran, and China also made it to the top four in the women’s event.

“We’re all in good shape now. We played a match against Brazil today. We had a very good performance. It’ll be interesting to face the Russian team. Over all, everything is great and we’re enjoying Kazan very much,” said Elina Rahimi, a tennis player from Iran.

The men’s semi-finalists were China, Belarus, and Iran, who beat India 3-2 in a tight match.

The tennis and badminton tournaments of the BRICS Games have kicked off as well. The participants played games in sub-groups with deciding matches still to come.

“Everything is great, the organisation and venue are top-notch. We like it very much. Kazan is a beautiful and very clean city with many sights. The competition is really serious. There are some strong players from Russia and Belarus,” remarked Mohammad Saddiq Barakzai, a badminton player from Afghanistan, sharing his thoughts about the tournament.

The third day of the BRICS Games in Kazan will feature 11 sports.

Athletics

On June 15, athletics competitions begin at the Central Stadium in Kazan. Over two days athletes will distribute 42 sets of medals among themselves. Participants from Russia, Abkhazia, Belarus, Brazil, Burkina Faso, India, China, South Africa, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia and Eritrea will take to the start line.

The competitions include the following types of programs for men and women: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1500 m, 5000 m; 4x100 m and 4x400 m relay races, 110 m, 400 m hurdles; 3000 m hurdles; 10000 m race walk; high jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump; discus, hammer, javelin and shot put. In addition, men will compete in the decathlon, women - in the heptathlon.

The Russian national track and field team at the BRICS Games will include world champions Sergey Shubenkov and Danil Lysenko, Olympic silver medalist Elena Sokolova, world championship silver medalists Ekaterina Koneva and Valery Pronkin, winners of Russian championships Polina Knoroz, Vladimir Nikitin, Maxim Yakushev and other prominent athletes.

Basketball Tournament

The BRICS Games will kick off the Basketball Doubles tournament. This is a new discipline, which was first successfully tested at the international multi-sport tournament "Games of the Future" in February-March 2024 in Kazan. Each basketball doubleheader match consists of two stages - interactive (digital) and functional (physical). First, the players compete in a basketball simulator, and then go to a real court and play in a 2x2 format. At the same time, the score that the teams gained in the digital stage is transferred to the physical stage - that is, it will be important for athletes to show themselves both with a joystick in their hands and on the court.

The competition will last four days. Teams from 12 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Cuba, Republica Srpska, Vietnam, UAE and others, will take part. The first match will start on June 15 at 10:30.

The hosts of the tournament will be represented by the leading players of the national 3x3 basketball team - Konstantin Grekov, Yuri Bespalov, Alexander Stepanov, as well as Vladislav Meleshkin, the champion and MVP of the Fijital Basketball Tournament at the "Games of the Future".

Rowing

On the third day of rowing competitions six sets of awards will be played. At 10:00 at the Rowing Sports Center will start semifinal heats for pair doubles in regular and lightweight, as well as quadruples without a helmsman among men and women. Athletes from Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, India, Serbia, Iran, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates will take part in them.

At 15:00 the best teams will determine the champions in their disciplines.

Karate

On the final day of karate competitions at the BRICS Games six sets of medals will be played. The program will start at 10.00 with preliminary and consolation performances in "Kata" for men. This will be followed by preliminary bouts for women (61, 68 and over 68 kg) and men (84 and over 84 kg). At 16:30, the third-place bouts will take place and at 18:30 the final bouts will begin.

Weightlifting

The final day of the weightlifting competitions of the BRICS Games will be held at the Tulpar Sports Complex on Saturday. Participants will play for medals in three weight categories.

In the men's category there will be competitions in the weight category up to 102 kilograms, as well as in the category - over 102 kilograms. In the women's final set of awards will be played in the weight category over 81 kilograms.

Among the participants of the competitions are European champion Alexei Lovchev, winners of European championships Egor Klimonov, Georgy Kuptsov (all from Russia), athletes from the Republic of Belarus, Iran, Venezuela, UAE.

Wushu

The third day of wushu competitions at the BRICS Games will be full of interesting fights. At 10:00 at the TATNEFT Arena semifinal fights for women (48, 56, 65 and 70 kg) and men (52, 56, 60, 65, 75 and 85 kg) will start. And at 16:00 the drawing of six sets of awards will begin: women will determine champions in taijiquan, qianshu and changquan styles, and men - in jianshu, daoshu and nangun.

Table Tennis

The men's and women's singles table tennis competitions begin Saturday at the Boxing and Table Tennis Center.

Russia will be represented by Maxim Grebnev, Kirill Skachkov, Nikita Artemenko, Vladimir Sidorenko and Lev Katsman in the men's tournament, and Elizabeth Abrahamyan, Maria Tailakova, Vlada Voronina, Yana Noskova and Polina Mikhailova in the women's tournament.

Their opponents will be tennis players from China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Bahrain, Belarus, Armenia and other countries of the world.

Group stage matches in singles will start at 10:00. And at 17:40 the matches of 1/16 finals in men's and women's singles will start.

Synchronized swimming

Two final sets of awards will be played in synchronized swimming. The Palace of Aquatics will host performances of mixed duets and groups (free program). Athletes from Uzbekistan, Russia, Thailand, Kazakhstan, DPRK and Belarus will compete for medals. The duets will start at 10.00, and groups - at 15.00.

Artistic Gymnastics

Five sets of medals in individual events will be awarded in artistic gymnastics. Men will perform exercises on the bar, parallel bars and vaulting, and women - exercises on the balance beam and floor exercises. The beginning of performances, which will be held in the Gymnastics Center - 15.00.

Nikita Nagorny, Daniel Marinov, Sergey Naidin, Anna Kalmykova, Leila Vasilyeva (all Russia), Egor Sharamkov and Elena Titovets (both - Republic of Belarus), as well as athletes from Kazakhstan, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Turkey and other countries will take part in the competition.

Badminton

The BRICS Badminton Games in men's and women's badminton continue at the Badminton Center.

In the morning from 10.00 a.m. games in subgroups in doubles and mixed doubles up to ½ finals matches will be held, and at 15.00 a.m. semifinal matches in all divisions of the Games, including singles, will begin.

In total, the participants will play 5 sets of awards, and the first final matches will be held this Sunday, June 16.

Tennis

The Kazan Tennis Academy will host the group stage matches of the team tournament in men's and women's singles.

The teams of Russia, Tajikistan, India, Uzbekistan, Republic of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Pakistan and Republic of Srpska are participating in the women's tournament.

For men, the teams of Russia, the Republic of Belarus, India, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and the Republic of Abkhazia are competing for medals.

The group stage will last until June 16 inclusive, and then the final games within the playoffs will start. The start of matches on Saturday — 10.00.

FOR MEDIA:

After the artistic gymnastics competition there will be an autograph session with Olympic champion Nikita Nagorny and the winner of the BRICS Games in individual all-around competition Daniel Marinov. The meeting will take place at the Gymnastics Center.

At 18.00 the presentation of a film about synchronized swimming by three-time Olympic champion Maria Kiseleva will take place at the MICE (Universiade Village).

At 8:30 p.m. the BRICS Games Ambassador Alina Zagitova's press approach will take place at the Central Stadium. She will also meet volunteers at the Gymnastics Center (16.50) and will visit Wushu competitions at the Tatneft Arena (17.30).

Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the official website of the BRICS Games (https://tickets.bricskazan2024.games) or on the website of the official partner of the tournament kassir.ru (https://kzn.kassir.ru/selection/sportivnyie-igryi-stran-briks-2024).

In parallel with the ongoing competition, BRICS Games, together with the official media partner Likee, has launched a #BRICS2024 hashtag challenge, an easy and interactive hurdle competition featuring the official mascot Brixic.

The innovative campaign took the platform by storm, amassing over 13 million views within two weeks and is recommended on main page of Rustore. More than 54000 people across the nation, including 420 verified creators, have joined the celebration to promote the grand event on the 2024 Russian sport calendar. Notably, people of all ages, from children to grandparents, couples, and families, find their joy in a 30 second clip creation.

“Social media plays an increasingly pivotal role as in our daily life especially for the young generation. It is no longer sufficient for most individuals to merely watch games on television; they seek to become an integral part of the sports experience and to personally engage with its allure.” said Likee Russia CEO Dmitry Shcherbinin, “AI filter provides a novel and intriguing marketing and communication tool to engage new audience across all age groups. It also showcases the power of short video in bridging the digital divide and inclusivity of our society.”

The BRICS Games are held in Kazan from 12 to 23 June. More than 4,000 athletes from over 90 countries will play for about 400 sets of awards in 27 sports.

Athletes competed for another 40 sets of medals at the BRICS Games in Kazan.

Six sets of medals were up for grabs on the second day of the BRICS Games rowing competitions. As a result, five gold medals went to the Russian team. Natalia Guzhinova won the lightweight single sculls, Kira Yuvchenko won the single sculls, and Valentina Plaksina and Marina Rubtsova were the best coxless pair. Among men, Alexandr Yakovlev won the single sculls, while Ilia Ivanov and Ivan Kladov won gold in the coxless pair. The lightweight single sculls were dominated by Mikita Karneyeu, an athlete from Belarus.

“It’s always nice to win, obviously, I’m very happy about the gold. But I rarely wish for a certain result. I went to the start today with a single intention: “to give my best performance”. It worked out, and I’m glad.

I’m very happy that competitions of this scale have been organised. I’m proud to be a part of them. I have a lot of respect for everyone around me during these hours and days, including my competitors. For me, this medal is important because, first of all, it’s a gold medal of the first Games of this kind. This is especially valuable. Each medal is the result of a whole team working together with the athlete”, said Kira Yuvchenko.

The first medals were awarded at the BRICS Games karate competitions. Dozens of serious bouts took place at the Saint Petersburg Volleyball Centre, some of which were decided literally at the last seconds. The fight was so tense and equal that all gold medals went to athletes from different countries: no one could get even the two main awards for the game day.

In the Kata discipline, Nicole Helena Yonamine Mota from Brazil won the gold medal. Yilin Liao of China took the silver, and the bronze medal was shared by Viktoryia Rudzenchanka of Belarus and Yiwei Tao of China.

Yu Xie, an athlete from China, won gold in the 50 kg category bouts. In the Finals, she defeated Gulshan Alimardanova from Uzbekistan. And bronze medals went to Russian karatekas Aygul Sadykova and Anastasia Razumnykh. Madina Sadigova from Azerbaijan became the champion of the BRICS Games in the 55 kg weight category. In the final bout, she was stronger than Zuying Hou (China). Madina Alimanova of Kazakhstan and Ozoda Nuridinova of Russia shared the bronze medal.

Mekhriddin Turakhonov of Uzbekistan won gold in the men’s 60 kg category. He defeated Zholaman Bigabyl of Kazakhstan in a tense and almost evenly matched bout. Third place went to Yurik Ogannisian of Russia and Pavle Dujakovic of the Republic of Srpska.

“This is my first medal won at the complex competitions. It’s very significant for me”, Mekhriddin Turakhonov remarked. “I trained very hard, counting only on victory. We compete with Kazakhstan, our neighbours, quite often. This time we won. First of all, it’s a gold medal for my homeland, Uzbekistan. Also, for my parents and my close friend, who is injured currently and couldn’t participate in the competition. In general, I’m impressed with the organisation of the Games, with the number of participating countries; the overall preparation is really spectacular. You can see how much effort went into everything. Thank you very much!”

In the 67 kg weight category, the gold medal went to Suren Harutyunyan from Armenia, who in the final bout was stronger than the Russian athlete, Sergei Spitsin. Kalys Nurlanbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) and Mukhammadabdulaziz Khodjakulov (Uzbekistan) shared the third place.

Finally, Ernest Sharafutdinov of Russia became the BRICS Games champion in the 75 kg weight category. He defeated Devid Nhuyen of Belarus in the Finals. The bronze went to Nazim Nurlanov of Kazakhstan and Dastonbek Otabolaev of Uzbekistan.

“This medal is very important to me because I performed poorly in the past competitions, while this gold made these failures fade away, so to speak”, Ernest Sharafutdinov said after the winning bout. “The competition is very high. We came from different continents. Once again, the scale of these competitions is just incredible. I dedicate this win to all the Russian fans who rooted and cheered for me. To my mum, to my city, to Kazan.”

Six sets of medals were awarded in the BRICS wushu competitions. Once again, three gold medals went to Russia and China each: so far these countries have six first places in this sport after two tournament days. Two more tense days are ahead.

Only quarter-final matches have been held at this point, while the final performances were held in three disciplines for men and women. In Jianshu, the strongest was Aksiniya Schukina of Russia, who was five thousand points ahead of the Iranian athlete, Zahra Kiani. The bronze medal went to Brazil represented by Michele Silva Dos Santos.

Nandao was the only discipline in which Russia did not finish in the top three. Jiexia Yang of China took gold, followed by Darya Latisheva of Uzbekistan with silver and Nazanin Bazdar of Iran with bronze.

Sandra Konstantinova of Russia earned her second gold medal of the BRICS Games in Gunshu (she won the Daoshu competition the day before). Silver went to another Russian athlete, Anna Leonova, while the bronze went to Qiu Xinyue of China.

Lei Li of China was the strongest in the men's Taijijian competition. His main opponent was Ivan Krasnobaev of Russia, who got the silver medal, while the bronze went to Dachang Li, another Chinese athlete.

Meanwhile in Changquan, the Russians took the top two places with Kirill-Zui Bondarenko, who was 10 thousand points ahead of Pavel Muratov. It stands to mention that a day earlier Kirill took silver, and Pavel took gold. Hossein Gheblenamay Moghadam of Iran rounded off the prized three after the Russians today.

Lastly, in the Nanquan style, the victory went to Chinese athlete, Zhang Chengkai. Silver went to Shahin Banitalebi of Iran and bronze went to Kamil Khaliliulin of Russia.

Ak Bars Wrestling Palace hosted the final sambo bouts of the BRICS Games. Seven sets of medals were awarded on the final day.

Aslan Abazov of Russia won the gold medal in the men’s 88 kg category. In the Finals, he was stronger than Zhamalbek Asylbek Uulu, 2023 World Champion from Kyrgyzstan. Another Russian sambo wrestler, Kirill Knyazkov, was the best in the 98 kg weight category.

“The BRICS Games is the huge international event, the competition was very high. There were no generic bouts, every victory was won with a fight. So, I’m very happy with my performance”, Kirill Knyazkov noted.

Stepan Soldatenkov brought another gold for Russia in the weight category over 98 kg, defeating Nurbek Turaev of Uzbekistan.

Daniela Zhdan, a sambo wrestler from the Republic of Belarus, won in the women’s 65 kg category.

“I always envision the first place only. For me, every victory is important. It’s not our first time in Kazan, such a hospitable city with friendly people. Everything is arranged as comfortably as possible for the athletes”, Daniela mentioned.

Evgeniya Chiresh defeated Anzhela Zhylinskaya (Republic of Belarus) in the weight category up to 72 kg and brought the Russian national team another gold medal in sambo.

Evgeniya Chiresh, who defeated Anzhela Zhylinskaya from Belarus in the 72 kg category Finals, added one more gold medal to the Russian national team’s collection. Olga Mikheeva (Russia) took gold in the up to 80 kg category, while Karyna Shut from the Republic of Belarus was the best in the 80 kg category.

Five sets of medals in artistic swimming were awarded at the Aquatics Palace on Friday. Aleksandr Maltsev won two gold medals at once. The Russian won in the solo free routine and in the technical routine in the mixed duet with Mayya Gurbanberdieva. In the mixed duet competition, the titled artistic swimmers scored 261.7983 points, ahead of Anna Vashchenko and Vyacheslav Rudnev (188.5133) of Uzbekistan and Yasmina Islamova and Aldiyar Ramazanov (183.5267) of Kazakhstan.

“We are speechless because we’ve only recently been paired up”, admitted silver medallist Anna Vashchenko. “There were some difficult working moments, but it’s great that we were able to overcome them and win medals!”

Svetlana Kolesnichenko and Mayya Doroshko were unbeatable in the women’s duets in the free routine, just like the day before in the technical routine. The leaders of the Russian national team scored 310.9737 points for their performance. Valeryia Valasach and Marharyta Kiryliuk of Belarus took silver (215.4473), while Supitchaya Songpan and Pongpimporn Pongsuwan of Thailand took bronze (168.6500).

Vasilina Khandoshka of Belarus took the first place in the women’s solo free routine with 288.8397 points. In the battle for gold, the participant of the Tokyo Olympics and the World Championship bronze medallist was ahead of Aleksandra Kuznetsova from Russia (274.4105), competing as a junior, and Polina Merzlyakova from Kazakhstan (204.0460).

“I just admire Vasilina. She is far more experienced in this sport”, Aleksandra Kuznetsova summarised. “But everything is fair, all is just. I will work harder!”

“This is a great result! We reaped what we sowed!” said Vasilina Khandoshka. “Kuznetsova’s words? I am insanely pleased. But I wouldn’t say that. We’re all equal before the start, nobody knows how it’ll pan out. And today it happened this way. Alexandra is a strong soloist and a worthy opponent.”

The competition day ended with the victory of the Russian team in the technical routine. The team was represented by Anna Andrianova, Anastasiia Bakhtyreva, Ekaterina Kossova, Varvara Kreopalova, Elizaveta Minaeva, Evelina Simonova, Elizaveta Smirnova, and Agniya Tulupova. The winners scored 341.7363 points. The silver medal was won by the DPRK athletes with a score of 273.2816 points, the third place went to Belarusian artistic swimmers (260.5641).

On Friday, the winners of five sets of awards in individual disciplines were determined at the BRICS Games artistic gymnastics competitions.

Yahor Sharamkou of Belarus won the gold medal in men’s floor exercises. He scored 14.933 points, ahead of Nikita Nagornyi (14.133), Russian Olympic champion, and Yaraslau Krutau (13.966), the former’s compatriot.

“Post-performance mood is amazing. I’m happy with the result so far”, Yahor Sharamkou said. “I’ve already been to Kazan for the Russian Championships; everything here is organised just fine. I loved it.”

Russian gymnast Vladislav Polyashov won the pommel horse competition with a score of 14.566 points. Diyas Toishybek of Kazakhstan won silver (14.366), whereas bronze went to Enkhtuvshin Damdindorj of Mongolia (13.866). Olympic champion David Belyavskiy settled for the fourth place (13.033).

Another Olympic champion from Russia, Artur Dalaloyan, was second in the rings competition with 13.733 points. He was beaten by Yunus Emre Gundogdu of Turkey (13.766). Daniel Marinov of Russia, who won the individual all-around the day before, rounded out the top three (13.066).

Olympic champion Angelina Melnikova won two medals in the women’s event. The Russian athlete won on uneven bars with a score of 14.766 points, leaving her compatriot Leyla Vasilyeva (14.666) and Belarusian athlete Alena Tsitavets (14.233) on the bottom steps of the podium. Anna Kalmykova won the vault competition with a score of 13.500 points. Melnikova (13.466) was second with Jasmina Makhmudova of Uzbekistan (12.616) rounding off the top three.

Deciding matches in the team table tennis competitions were held at the Boxing and Table Tennis Centre.

In the men’s semi-finals, the Russian team defeated Belarus with a total score of 3:0, while tennis players from China beat the Iranian team 3:1. In the BRICS Games Finals, Russia defeated the Chinese team 3:2, in a dramatic match that lasted over four hours in total, winning the gold medals.

“The spectators helped, thank you to everyone who rooted for us. As a rule, the spectators get tired in such tough matches, but today they supported us all the way. It gives us strength to fight until the very end”, shared Vladimir Sidorenko, one of the heroes of the final match between Russia and China, who won the deciding fifth match of the Finals.

In the women’s category, the Russian team fought hard in individual matches, but beat Iran 3:0. Whereas China was stronger than India – 3:1.

In the Finals, the Russian team achieved a confident win. China failed to take a single individual match and was left with the silver medals of the BRICS Games in favour of the Russian girls, 3:0.

“We were one team, we prepped up, we really wanted to win in our native Russia. I’m very happy, we’re all very happy. Our fans, you are incredible, thank you all!” Elizabet Abraamian, a player of the Russian women’s table tennis team, shared her post-match emotions.

The BRICS Games weightlifting competitions continued at the Tulpar Sports Complex on Friday. The participants competed for medals in three weight categories.

Zarina Gusalova of Russia won the gold medal with a score of 230 kg (on the sum of two exercises) in the women’s 71 kg category. Belarusian athletes Dziyana Maiseyevich (217 kg) and Palina Pahuliayeva (216 kg) won silver and bronze, respectively.

“The winning experience is magnificent. The competitions are held at the highest level. Everything is glorious, everything is new. We’ve been preparing for this performance for a very long time, this is a very important medal for me. One of the main starts this year. I dedicate all the victories to my coach. He is always with me, always supporting. It’s his victory as much as it’s mine. I dedicate this win to him and my parents.

We have the Russian Championship in a month; I’ll get ready for it and try to show even better results. And tomorrow, I will go to walk around Kazan. It’s a very beautiful city that I like”, said Zarina Gusalova, champion in the women’s 71 kg category.

Darya Naumava of Belarus celebrated success in the women’s 81 kg category with a total of 249 kg. Mariya Gruzdova of Russia took the second place (245 kg) with Darya Akhmerova, another Russian athlete, took the third (241 kg).

In the men’s part of the competition, medals were awarded in the weight category up to 89 kg. Artyom Okulov of Russia scored the best by the sum of the exercises (362 kg total of two exercises). Yulian Kurlovich of Belarus came second (360 kg) and Mikhail Podkorytov rounded off the top three (320 kg).

Matches in team tennis competitions continue at the Kazan Tennis Academy. There are two more game days ahead, within which the national teams will play each other in the group stage.

“The impression from the Games is very good; the event is organised at the top level. This is my first time in Kazan and it’s very beautiful here. Nice, hospitable people, I like everything. As for my last game, it was played very well, I’m happy with myself. The goals and objectives of our national team for the next games are, of course, to win, to get out of the group into the play-offs, and then, maybe, to take a higher place; there is a lot of competition here after all. The strongest teams have gathered”, said Kosimi Akhmaddzhon, a player of the Tajikistan national tennis team, after the match.

The Badminton Centre hosted the ⅛ and ¼ Finals of the singles badminton tournament.

Three Russians, namely Sergey Sirant, Vladislav Dobychkin, and Artur Pechenkin, reached the semi-final stage of the BRICS Games among men, defeating opponents from Afghanistan, Belarus, and the Syrian Arab Republic. The fourth semi-finalist was Welton Juvenal Menezes of Brazil.

Badminton players from Russia were also expected to win in the group stage matches in doubles and mixed doubles; they beat badminton players from Brazil, Burkina Faso, the Syrian Arab Republic, and Belarus with a 2:0 score.

The BRICS Games are gaining momentum in Kazan.

Badminton

On Sunday, five sets of BRICS Games medals will be played in badminton. The finals in mixed doubles, women's and men's doubles and the deciding singles matches will be held at the Badminton Center. Russian badminton players Sergey Sirant (singles, doubles), Artur Pechenkin (singles, doubles), Maria Golubeva (singles, mixed doubles) and Evgenia Kosetskaya (singles, doubles) will play in two finals at once. The start of the games session is 12:00.

Athletics

The second and final day of the athletics tournament at the BRICS Games will determine the winners of 21 sets of awards. The competitions will be held at the Central Stadium and will start at 10:00.

Men's medals will be awarded in the 200m and 800m races, 110m hurdles, 3000m hurdles, 10000m race walk, 4 x 400m relay, javelin and discus, triple jump, pole vault and decathlon.

The women will determine the winners in the 200m, 1500m and 5000m, 110m hurdles, 4 x 400m relay, long jump, high jump, hammer throw, shot put and heptathlon.

2015 world champion and three-time European champion Sergey Shubenkov will take part in the 110m hurdles, 2012 Olympic silver medalist Elena Sokolova will compete in the long jump, pole vault spectators will see 2018 European Championships silver medalist Timur Morgunov, and five-time Russian champion Maxim Yakushev will compete in the 3000m steeplechase. Track and field athletes from Belarus, Uzbekistan, India, China, South Africa, Pakistan and other countries will also take to the start line.

Diving

Diving competitions will start at the Aquatics Palace. Athletes will compete for 10 sets of awards. On Sunday, the BRICS Games champions in men's 3-meter springboard diving, women's 10-meter tower diving and synchronized mixed 3-meter springboard diving will be determined. World champion Evgeny Kuznetsov, Olympic medalist Alexander Bondar, European champions Nikita Shleikher and Yulia Timoshinina, athletes from Brazil, Venezuela, Uzbekistan,

Belarus, Ecuador and other countries will compete in Kazan.

The preliminary stage will start at 10:00, and the finals - from 16:00.

Table tennis

The table tennis tournament will feature men's and women's singles playoffs. Athletes will start with the ⅛ finals stage at 10:00, and the deciding matches will start at 18:00. Earlier, the tennis players of the Russian national team won the team tournaments and will perform in singles as well.

Wushu

The final day of Wushu competitions at the BRICS Games will be very busy and intense - athletes will play for 16 sets of awards. From 10:00 at the TATNEFT Arena the Taolu singles will begin: men will reveal champions in Shuangdao, Taijiquan and Chaijiquan/Huajuan styles, and women - in Nanjiquan, Baguazhang and Shaunjian.

And at 15:00 will be the culmination of wushu tournaments in sparring format - finals for women (48, 56, 65 and 70 kg) and men (52, 56, 60, 65, 75 and 85 kg). On the tatami will meet the best of the best at the BRICS Games, which went to this point all the previous three days of competition.

Rowing

The rowing competition at the BRICS Games is coming to an end. On Sunday the last and the most "mass" races in terms of disciplines will be held. At 10:00 at the Rowing Center the semifinals in the women's and men's pairs four and eight with a helmsman will begin. According to their results the participants of the final races will be determined, who will start the fight for four sets of medals at 14:00.

Rowing

The rowing competitions at the BRICS Games are coming to an end. On Sunday, the last and the most "mass" in terms of disciplines will be held. At 10:00 at the Rowing Center the semifinals in the women's and men's pairs four and eight with a helmsman will begin. According to their results the participants of the final heats will be determined, who will start the fight for four sets of medals at 14:00.

Basketball doubleheader

On the second day of the basketball doubleheader there will be seven meetings on virtual and real courts. Ten participating teams are divided into two groups, the top 2 from each group will advance to the semifinals. So far, only Group A has an obvious leader - Uzbekistan, whose team has two victories on the first day. It will face Republika Srpska, which has one win and one loss. Also in Group A will play Brazil and Cuba, as well as the UAE and Brazil.

In Group B, the hosts will play two matches in one day - Russia will face Armenia and then Colombia. Abkhazia also has two matches - against Colombia and Belarus.

Tennis

Tennis players will play the final games of the group stage in the BRICS Games team tournaments. The national teams of Russia and Abkhazia, India and Republika Srpska, Belarus and Iran and other teams will play on the courts of the Tennis Academy. The matches will start at 10.00.

Activities for media

BRICS Games Ambassador, Olympic champion Alina Zagitova will visit several sports venues (Rowing Center, Aquatics Palace, Basket Hall) and hold a meeting with volunteers.

Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the official website of the BRICS Games or on the website of the official partner of the tournament kassir.ru.

Athletes show excellent results at the BRICS Games and thank the spectators.

The BRICS Games artistic gymnastics competition came to an end on Saturday. The athletes competed for five sets of awards, giving the spectators precise performance of complex technical elements in individual disciplines.

Olympic champion Nikita Nagornyi won in the men’s vault, beating his compatriot Daniel Marinov. However, this talented athlete from Tatarstan shone on parallel bars, winning another gold at the BRICS Games. Sergey Naydin (Russia) won on the horizontal bar.

Mariya Agafonova (Russia) was the best on the balance beam, while another Russian gymnast, Anna Kalmykova, was unrivalled on the floor exercises.

At the end of the competition, Nagornyi and Marinov held an autograph session for the spectators and thanked them for their support.

“Thank you for being with us. Having you means the world. I hope you’ll continue to follow artistic gymnastics; to follow such outstanding athletes like Daniel Marinov. Thank you!” Nikita Nagornyi addressed the audience.

The final day of the BRICS Games artistic swimming competition brought two more gold medals for the Russian national team. Olesia Platonova and Aleksandr Maltsev won in the mixed duets, beating athletes from Thailand and Uzbekistan. This is Maltsev’s fourth gold medal at the BRICS Games in Kazan.

The Russian junior team won the team free routine. Alena Bakai, Elizaveta Brener, Kseniia Efimova, Aleksandra Kuznetsova, Aleksandra Klenina, Alina Rumiantseva, Aleksandra Shmidt, and Olga Tiutiunik comprised the team, and the judges rated their performance at 396.0988 points. Second place went to athletes from the DPRK (293.6501), while Belarus (293.1792) was third.

“The group was really sophisticated, that’s why we got such scores. We gave our best at the BRICS Games. It was one of our runs. We absolutely love the atmosphere and setting of the Games, there are a lot of foreign athletes here. Sure, we were nervous, but we also know we’re capable”, said Alena Bakai, an athlete of the Russian national team.

One of the most spectacular and medal-rich events of the BRICS Games programme, athletics, began at the Central Stadium. Awards in 21 disciplines were awarded on the first day.

In the men’s event, gold medals were won by the Russians: Danila Ten (100 m run), Saveliy Savlukov (400 m run), Vladimir Nikitin (5,000 m run), Fedor Ivanov (400 m hurdling), Valeriy Pronkin (hammer throwing), Danil Lysenko (high jump), Artyom Chermoshanskiy (long jump), Viachaslau Skudny (1,500 m run), and the Belarusian athlete, Aleh Tamashevich (shot put). In addition, the Russian men’s team won the 4x100 m relay race.

“I had a big pause in competition, and the BRICS Games is an opportunity to remember the whole atmosphere. It reminded me of the Youth Olympics, when you walk through the Olympic village, and there’s music playing somewhere”, said high jumper Danil Lysenko.

The women’s winners were the Russians: Polina Knoroz (pole vault), Kristina Makarenko (100 m run), Emiliya Tangara (400 m hurdling), Reikhan Kagramanova (10,000 m sports walking), Polina Tkalich (400 m run), Violetta Ignateva (discus throwing), Maria Prokhorets (800 m run), and Ekaterina Ivonina (3,000 m steeplechase), as well as the Belarusians: Viyaleta Skvartsova (triple jump) and Tatsiana Khaladovich (javelin throwing). The women’s team of Belarus became the first in the 4x100 m relay race. At the same time, Kagramanova showed the best result of the season in the world: 41:57.800.

“I was determined to win. There’s very high competition, and I knew that the first place would be the best result of the season in the world. We did a great job. I don’t think anyone in the world trains like this”, Reikhan Kagramanova noted.

The finalists in all categories of the badminton competition have been determined. All five matches will take place at the Badminton Centre on Sunday, with only Russian athletes competing in all of them. Gleb Stepakov/Alina Davletova and Vladislav Dobychkin/Mariya Golubeva will take to the court at 12.00 noon in the mixed doubles, followed by Sergey Sirant and Artur Pechenkin in the men’s Finals, and Evgeniya Kosetskaya and Mariya Golubeva will compete in the women’s gold medal match. In doubles, Artur Pechenkin/Gleb Stepakov will face the Pavel Monich/Sergey Sirant duo, while Alina Davletova/Evgeniya Kosetskaya will compete with Daria Kharlampovich/Galina Lisochkina.

“Today was quite tense; I had a little bit of a bad streak in the first game, I think it was because of the responsibility I felt to my parents and a lot of fans who supported me here. Still, I managed to turn the tide and then win the match.

I also arrived earlier today to watch the men’s singles. A very strong Brazilian team came here, both men’s and women’s, and today I realised this for myself having played with one of them. I also want to note the team of the Syrian Arab Republic: an athlete from this country was really impressive and gave me a hard time”, Mariya Golubeva shared her feelings.

The BRICS Games karate competitions concluded at the Saint Petersburg Volleyball Centre on 15 June. Six sets of medals were awarded on the second and last days. And at least one representative of Russia competed in each final. Keep reading to find out more.

The Russian athletes took top two places in the 68 kg category: Aleksandra Meshkova beat Anna Kudryavtseva in the Finals. It’s interesting that this happened on Aleksandra’s birthday. “First and foremost, this is a present for myself, for my relatives, and for everyone who was cheering and supporting. The last thing I wanted to do on such a day, on my birthday, is to lose. This is a very significant victory for me”, the BRICS Games champion shared. “The competition here is tremendous. There are worthy athletes from all over the world who proved themselves to be highly skilled, but I’m very happy for our team, for our result; we did a great job, we overcame everything.”

Altana Basangova of Russia competed with Li Gong of China in the 61 kg category, but lost, winning the silver medal in the end.

In the over 68 kg category, Brenda Padilha Pereira of Brazil won the final against Sunita Khalimova of Russia.

Varishan Bakirov of Russia was one of the contenders for gold in the men’s Kata discipline, but lost to an athlete from China. “Thank you to my coaches. We went through five qualifying stages; I want to thank them for their patience, how much they invested in us. I also want to extend this gratitude to my parents. Without them, this success wouldn’t have happened”, Varishan told after the tournament.

In the 84 kg category bouts, the champion of the BRICS Games was Eduard Gasparian of Russia. He defeated Mikita Kiryievich of Belarus in the Finals. “The competition was quite serious. I went through four tough bouts, reached the Finals, and then snatched the win at the last seconds”, said Eduard. “I’d like to dedicate this victory to my father and coach, Artem Gasparian, and to my mother, Alena Gasparian. Thank you, my family.”

The Finals in the over 84 kg category were also between a Russian and a Belarusian; our compatriot Aleksandr Pshenitsyn won in the end.

Following the results of the BRICS Games, Russian karatekas won four gold, five silver and five bronze medals. China won three golds, two silvers, and four bronzes. Uzbekistan has 1-1-5. Brazil has two golds and one bronze.

The first day of the phygital basketball featured the first seven games of the group stage. In Group A, the Republic of Srpska first lost in a tight contest to Brazil, 18:21, and then beat the UAE team with 23:16.

“The game turned out to be tough. We lost the digital stage and it was hard to win back nine points on the court. In the end, we were literally two or three points short with ten seconds left in the game. I congratulate the Brazilian team on this victory”, said Aleksandar Ivetic, player of the Republic of Srpska. “I liked the organisation of the BRICS Games. I especially loved the basketball court because this is the home of BC UNICS Kazan, whose games I watched every Thursday night. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

The Uzbek team showed two successful results: 21:19 against UAE and 28:17 against Cuba, thanks to which it broke into the group leaders on the first day.

The most impressive result in Group B was demonstrated by the Russian national team, which defeated their opponents from Abkhazia with a 55:12 score. Armenia got a confident win in the opening match against Colombia, 36:18, but lost to Belarus in an extremely tight game that followed, 28:29. For now, no one has more than one victory in Group B yet.

The third day of the BRICS Games rowing competition was successful for Russia: its athletes won six gold medals. The first victory was achieved by Aleksandr Tufaniuk and Iurii Shchelokov in the lightweight double sculls: the men were two seconds faster than their opponents from Belarus. “As always, the organisation is top-notch, Kazan is No.1 in this respect. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Olympic Games were held here in the future, the conditions are just perfect”, said the champions. “It feels great to win at such competitions. We had silver and bronze the day before, and today we wanted to redeem ourselves and leave with gold. We’re glad we made that happen.”

The second victory of the Russian national team was in the coxless four discipline. It was won by Aleksey Vorobiov, Ilia Ivanov, Ivan Kladov, and Roman Lomachev. They were also two seconds faster than the athletes from Belarus. “Yesterday we stood on the podium in doubles, there were great heats, competition, everyone shows their best time for such weather conditions, the races are most excellent. Surely, this medal is important, just as any other victory for the country and the people who support us”, said the winners.

Next, Anastasiia Lyubich and Kira Yuvchenko beat the Kazakhstan’s team in the double sculls by six tenths of a second in the tightest competition. Nataliia Guzhinova and Anastasiia Lebedeva won the women’s lightweight double sculls with confidence. Anton Vasin and Maksim Zhevlachenko won another gold medal in the men’s lightweight double sculls. Finally, Valentina Plaksina, Marina Rubtsova, Ekaterina Glazkova, and Ekaterina Sevostianova swam faster than the others in the coxless four.

The men’s and women’s singles table tennis tournaments at the BRICS Games started the next day after the Finals in the team event. The 1/16 Finals were played today, resulting in 9 tennis players from Russia, as well as athletes from China, India, Belarus, Venezuela, and Iran making it to the next stage.

“The first match came quite easy for me. But the second one, against my Venezuelan opponent, was way tenser. She was hitting difficult balls when I kept missing, it was as if I hadn’t woken up yet. I got into it after the team event, where my team succeeded in winning gold, but I had only one individual match in two days. I was very worried and anxious yesterday; everyone did well.

I don’t expect any particular opponent in the play-offs, the preparation process is the same anyway”, said Vlada Voronina of the Russian national team.

Russian athletes won three gold medals on the final day of the weightlifting competitions. Georgiy Kuptsov won in the 102 kg category, Daniil Vagaytsev was the best in the 102+ kg category, and Viktoriya Orlova took first place in the women’s 81+ kg category.

“I fought for this medal long and hard. It was a long-term goal. But as they say, to infinity and beyond. Thank you for supporting us. We value you very much. The organisation is at a high level. Kazan has very kind people. Thanks to all the volunteers for making the BRICS Games possible”, said Daniil Vagaytsev.

Russian and Chinese athletes continue to clash at the BRICS Games wushu competitions. In the previous two days, the hosts of the tournament and China won three golds each. This time the Russians were stronger.

In the Taijiquan discipline, the two first places went to the hosts of the tournament: Anastasiya Deeva beat Anastasiya Kadenova by ten hundredths of a point. Third was Sara Salah Hussein from Egypt. “Today was better; the first performance seemed to me a bit “flawed”, so to speak. Now, I feel I improved. That said, it was a bit scary”, Anastasiya Deeva remarked. “It’s my first time in Kazan, I like everything. The organisation deserves commendation: the food is delicious, the transport is timely, and the people are kind and approachable.”

The second gold medal of the day was won by Sandra Konstantinova in the Changquan discipline. Silver went to Aksiniya Schukina of Russia as well, while bronze went to Zahra Jalili Parni of Iran. In the Qianshu discipline, the winner was Yanlin Liu of China with Zahra Kiani of Iran in the second place and Aksiniya Schukina in the third.

Junke Pan of China came out victorious in Jianshu. His main opponent was Pavel Muratov of Russia, while Abolfazl Gharehbaghi of Iran took the bronze. But in Daoshu, the gold went to the Russian team, with Kirill Zui Bondarenko shining bright once again. “Honestly, there are a lot of emotions. I achieved the main goal, but there were some mistakes that I will work on”, the BRICS Games champion stated. “In terms of organisation, everything is incredible. This is the first time I’ve been to such a large-scale event. I went to the World Championships: it wasn’t nearly as cool or vibrant!”

The silver in the Daoshu discipline went to Hossein Gheblenamay Moghadam of Iran and the bronze went to Ilyas Khusnutdinov of Russia.

Finally, the winner of the sixth gold medal in Nangun was Shahin Banitalebi of Iran. Artyom Zagibalov and Kamil Khalilyulin took the second and third places, respectively.

The BRICS Games will continue in Kazan on Sunday.

Athletes participating in the BRICS Games visited the Altan Mosque named after Gabdurahim Utym in Kazan tonight. Gabdurahim Utyz Imani mosque to perform the festive namaz of Eid al-Adha.

The holiday of Eid al-Adha ("Eid al-Adha", "Eid al-Adha", "Eid Ayt") is one of the two most significant days in Islam.

“We are very happy that the organizers of the BRICS Games in Kazan pay attention to religious traditions. Eid al-Adha is a very important holiday for Muslims and it is nice for us to feel the unity of being surrounded by different nations here in the center of Russia,” said Bahrain national karate team coach Mohammed Larbi Boumezbyo.

In total, there were about 100 athletes from different countries at the event. After the celebration, they went to the Universiade Village to prepare for the competition, with many of them set to compete today.

The BRICS Games brought together 4,000 participants from more than 90 countries in Kazan.

The fifth day of the BRICS Games will feature tennis, basketball, wrestling and diving matches.

Wrestling

Freestyle, women's and Greco-Roman wrestling tournaments will kick off at the BRICS Games. Bouts between freestyle wrestlers are scheduled for June 17-18, women's wrestling competitions will be held on June 18-19, and Greco-Roman wrestlers will take to the mat on June 19-20.

In freestyle wrestling medals will be played in weight categories up to 57, 61, 65, 65, 70, 74, 79, 86, 92, 97 and 125 kg, in women's wrestling - up to 50 kg, 53 kg, 55 kg, 57 kg, 57 kg, 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, 72 kg and 76 kg, in Greco-Roman wrestling - 55 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 67 kg, 72 kg, 77 kg, 82 kg, 87 kg, 97 kg and 130 kg. In total - 30 sets of awards.

The wrestling tournament will be held at the Ak Bars Wrestling Palace. Preliminary bouts on Monday will begin at 11:00, 1/2 final bouts - at 18:00.

The main favorites of the tournament will be representatives of the Russian national team. World champion Abasgadzhi Magomedov (up to 65 kg), European champions Kurban Shiraev (up to 70 kg), Vitaly Kabaloev (up to 55 kg) and Emin Sefershaev (up to 60 kg), Olympic medalists Ekaterina Bukina (up to 76 kg) and Sergei Emelin (up to 63 kg), as well as other famous wrestlers will compete for the team. Belarus will be represented by the bronze medalists of the European Championship 2024 Alesya Getmanova (up to 59 kg) and Kirill Maskevich (up to 87 kg), winners of the last BRICS Games Arina Martynova (up to 55 kg) and Anna Maskevich (up to 87 kg). Wrestlers from Brazil, Syria, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, China, Uzbekistan and other countries will also compete.

Diving

Diving competitions will be held at the Aquatics Center. Three sets of medals will be played - men's 10-meter tower diving, women's three-meter springboard diving and mixed tower diving. Among the participants are European champion Nikita Shleikher and Olympic medalist Alexander Bondar, European champion Yulia Timoshinina and the winner of the BRICS Games in tower jumping Victoria Kazantseva, athletes from South America and Asian countries.

Preliminary performances will begin at 10:00, finals will start at 16:00.

Tennis

The Kazan Tennis Academy will host play-off matches of men's and women's team tournaments. The matches will start at 10:00. The men's teams will meet the teams of Russia and India, Belarus and Uzbekistan; the women's matches will be held in pairs Uzbekistan - India and the Serbian Republic - Iran.

Basketball Tournament

On Monday, the group stage of the basketball double-header at the BRICS Games will come to an end. The centerpiece of Group A is the match between Uzbekistan and Brazil, who have three wins each without a loss. They have already guaranteed their passage to the semifinals, the only question is the distribution of first and second place in the group. The other teams will face consolation matches - Cuba will play against the Serbian Republic and UAE.

In Group B, Belarus team has a big day - it will face Colombia and Russia. Victory in at least one of these matches will take them to the semifinals. Russia with three wins has guaranteed itself a playoff spot. The game against Belarus will only determine the fate of the first place in the group.

The games of the basketball doubleheader will start at the Basketball Sport Center Basket Hall at 13:00.

The two-day athletics tournament held as part of the BRICS Games concluded on Sunday at the Central Stadium in Kazan.

The men’s gold medal winners on the final day were Konstantin Krylov (200 m running), Artyom Makarenko (110 m hurdling), Konstantin Plokhotnikov (3,000 m steeplechase), Sergey Kozhevnikov (10,000 m sports walking), Boris Bezdolnyi (javelin throwing), Aleksey Khudyakov (discus throwing), Dmitriy Chizhikov (triple jump), Mikhail Shmykov (pole vault), and Stepan Kekin (decathlon). The Russian men’s team won the 4x400 m relay race. Dzmitry Savin of Belarus won the 800 m running.

“The only thing I didn’t like was my final place and the result of 13.70 seconds, but otherwise the competition is excellent. In terms of organisation, it’s a real class act”, said Sergey Shubenkov, 2015 World Champion, who came in second in the 110 m hurdling. “Obviously, the scale is a bit smaller than in Paris, but it’s impossible to tell the difference regarding the rest.”

“I’m very happy with my performance: a win against great competitors with my best result of the season”, said Konstantin Krylov, who won the 200 m running. “Speaking about the BRICS Games overall, I’m really impressed. As I was running, I noticed there was not a single athlete from Russia or Belarus but me. It’s very fascinating, in the warm-up already you can see different mentality, different cultures. These are the first international competitions in my career.”

In the women’s event, the Russian athletes: Natalya Kombarova (200 m running), Svetlana Aplachkina (1,500 m running), Lyubov Dubrovskaya (5,000 m running), Elena Sokolova (long jump), Mariia Kochanova (high jump), and Elizaveta Slobodyanyuk (heptathlon) became the BRICS Games champions. The Russian women’s team was the first in the 4x400 m relay race. Belarus’ top medals came from Elvira Hrabarenka (100 m hurdling), Anastasiya Maslova (hammer throwing), and Aliona Dubitskaya (shot put).

“This is my first competition of this level; the excitement was palpable. I felt like it was not just a responsible start, but a real holiday, spreading a cheerful mood. I was very happy when I found out that the BRICS Games would be held in Kazan. I have a lot of relatives and friends here who can come and root for me. I could feel their energy, so I wanted to show great results”, said Yuliya Sokhatskaya, who finished second in the heptathlon.

Following the results of the BRICS Games athletics competitions, athletes from Russia won 33 gold, 25 silver, and 23 bronze medals. Athletes from Belarus have 9 gold, 13 silver, and 9 bronze medals. Athletes from China (2 silver, 1 bronze); Brazil (1 silver, 2 bronze); South Africa (1 silver); India (3 bronze); Eritrea, Burkina Faso, and Kyrgyzstan (all with 1 bronze each) achieved prize-winning places as well.

The BRICS Games badminton competition has come to an end. The strongest badminton players: Sergey Sirant and Evgeniya Kosetskaya, participants of the Olympic Games; Alina Davletova, International Master of Sport; and Artur Pechenkin, Master of Sport, competed in the Finals.

In the Mixed Doubles Finals, Gleb Stepakov and Alina Davletova defeated Vladislav Dobychkin and Mariya Golubeva 2:0 (21:13, 21:18) in a difficult match. In the Singles Finals, Sergey Sirant was stronger than Artur Pechenkin with a 2:0 score (21:14, 21:13), whereas Evgeniya Kosetskaya beat Mariya Golubeva in a challenging struggle – 2:1 (15:21, 21:8, 21:13).

“So happy that I won; I proved that I can still do it. I’m glad that I managed to control my emotions and prevail. I was very nervous at the beginning. The shuttlecock was flying off, I didn’t realise it straight away and made some mistakes. Masha’s game was very powerful and strong. I advise her not to stop and to keep fighting. The organisation of the BRICS Games is amazing: great court, delicious food – everything is great, everyone is very friendly”, Evgeniya Kosetskaya said after winning the final.

Lastly, the spectators cheered at the doubles matches. For men, Artur Pechenkin and Gleb Stepakov confidently defeated Pavel Monich and Sergey Sirant with a 2:0 score (21:15, 21:7), while for women, Alina Davletova and Evgeniya Kosetskaya beat Daria Kharlampovich and Galina Lisochkina in a tenser match – 2:1 (21:8, 10:21, 21:5).

“All that was ventured, all was gained. The result is really good, everything’s incredible. It’s a great end to the matches.

The BRICS Games is an outstanding international tournament. Experiencing the whole atmosphere of these competitions is very important”, said Artur Pechenkin and Gleb Stepakov.

The BRICS Games diving competitions have started at the Aquatics Palace. They will last from 16 to 18 June.

Athletes from Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Thailand, Belarus, and Uzbekistan took part in three-metre springboard diving. The first gold medal in this discipline went to Nikita Shleikher of Russia (529.80 points), the silver was won by Jesus Eduardo Gonzalez Reyes of Venezuela (434.20), and the bronze went to Aleksandr Cherepakhin, Nikita’s compatriot, (430.35).

Next, the spectators observed the women’s ten-metre platform diving, where gold and silver were won by the athletes from Russia: Victoriia Kazantseva (345.10 points) and Iuliia Timoshinina (305.70)

The day ended with mixed three-metre platform diving. Gold medals went to Russia thanks to Ilia Molchanov and Elizaveta Kuzina (307.80 points), silver to Brazil (272.70), and bronze to Belarus with 253.74 points.

Three sets of medals will also be awarded in the men’s (10-metre platform), women’s (3-metre springboard), and mixed (10-metre platform) events on Monday.

The second day of the phygital basketball saw the leaders in both groups. Brazil scored two solid wins over Cuba (42:19) and UAE (42:13), while Uzbekistan defeated the Republic of Srpska 24:23 in a tight contest, and the two countries now lead Group A with three wins without defeat.

“We’ve seen the Cuban team playing before and realised that they would beat us on the court, so we tried our best to develop an advantage in the digital stage, and we succeeded. Further on the court, we just tried to keep the gap”, said Mattos Da Silva Santos Luiz Guilherme, a player from Brazil.

Russia had the best game of the day in Group B with 28:24 against Armenia and 40:9 against Colombia. “Everything’s great. We couldn’t try out some of our moves, but it doesn’t really matter. The main thing is that we won”, said Yuriy Bespalov, Russian team player. Furthermore in this Group, Abkhazia beat Colombia 25:18, but then lost to Belarus 12:29. Thus, Russia leads with three wins, while Belarus is in second place with two wins in two games.

The BRICS Games rowing competitions reached its finale. They lasted four days with more than 150 athletes from ten countries competing for awards.

The most “crowded” heats, quadruple sculls and eights, were held on the final day. In both women’s disciplines, the Russian athletes showed an extremely confident performance: they overpowered their opponents in the deciding races by more than clear five seconds. As a result, Anastasiia Lyubich, Maria Botalova, Tatiana Ustselemova, and Kira Yuvchenko became the BRICS Games champions in the quadruple sculls. “We got the best placing imaginable. It’s super cool to be here, but now we can proudly go home", Kira Yuvchenko remarked. “I wish the BRICS Games further development, and I will be happy to participate in them over and over again.”

The second gold medal of the final day went to the Russian women’s eight. But in men’s heats the leaders changed: both quadruple sculls and eight disciplines were dominated by the athletes from Belarus, while the Russians got silver.

“We expected to win. We’ve been racing with these guys for several years, and experience has proven that we know how to be the first. It was a pleasure to compete, everything was very exciting. Any medal, especially a gold one, is important and extremely significant. The more so at such awesome Games. We liked the organisation very much, we were happy to be here”, said the winners from the Belarusian team in the men’s quadruple four: Pavel Sinenka, Mikalai Sharlap, Dzianis Kucharau, and Mikhail Ivanchykau.

Table tennis competitions came to an end at the Boxing and Table Tennis Centre. In the men’s singles Finals, Kirill Skachkov beat Vladimir Sidorenko 3:2 in a tight match, while Mariya Tailakova defeated Elizabet Abraamian 3:1 by games in the women’s Finals.

“I was well prepared for the final match. I wanted to enjoy the atmosphere, the game; I just needed to act confidently. I gained revenge on Elizabet: I’m glad that I won, as we met for the seventh time this year. I stayed very calm and tried to not let emotions get the best of me. The second gold medal at the BRICS Games is a very good result, I think it’s very respectable”, Mariya Tailakova, the top-rated player of Russia, shared her feelings on the results of the Finals.

The group stage of the tennis team competitions concluded in Kazan Tennis Academy.

In men’s events, the top-ranked teams of Russia and Belarus, as well as the second-ranked teams of Uzbekistan and India, reached the play-offs.

For women, the teams of Russia and Belarus have reached the Semi-Finals ahead of schedule, while the teams of Iran and the Republic of Srpska, as well as India and Uzbekistan will be competing for the two remaining places. They will play their matches on Monday.

“I have only good things to say. We won all three matches at the group stage, scoring 3:0 each game. Having won the singles match today, I went to the doubles almost immediately. I’m glad that my team did well, we pulled through the group stage and went from the first place to the Semi-Finals. I believe that the teams of Russia and Belarus should clash in the Finals for the right to become the BRICS Games champions.

The organisation is at the highest level, I’m honoured to participate in competitions of such level; I really enjoyed the Opening Ceremony. Safety, multiple meals, access to water at every corner in such hot weather: huge respect to the organisers”, commented Mikhail Dubrouski, a tennis player from Belarus.

The BRICS Games wushu competitions saw their final bouts.

Today brought two gold medals each for Russia and China in Taolu: Ivan Krasnobaev and Anastasia Kadenova, along with Guanglin Yang, who earned two medals at once. Darya Latisheva (Uzbekistan) and Zahra Kiani (Iran) each won a gold medal.

In Sanda, Chinese athletes won four golds, Iran took the top three honours, and Russia took two titles. One of them was in the men’s 56 kg category where Arsen Umalatov defeated Sunil Singh Mayanglambam of India.

“I’d be lying if I said it was easy. I missed in the second round. The opponent was experienced. But I succeeded”, Arsen Umalatov stated. “The BRICS Games is an amazing competition for me, a great start of my sporting career. The support was overwhelming. I did my best for Russia.”

In the end, Russian athletes won 14 gold medals, 11 silver medals, and 8 bronze medals at the wushu competitions. China got 14 gold medals, 4 silvers, and 3 bronzes. Iran rounded off the top three with 4-8-11.

Three more sets of the BRICS Games medals were awarded at the Aquatics Palace on 17 June.

Athletes from Russia, Brazil, Venezuela, and Belarus participated in the women’s three-metre springboard diving competition. Elizaveta Kuzina of Russia won the gold medal (333.75 points), Kristina Ilinykh, her compatriot, took silver (330.45), and Aliaksandra Alshanik (Republic of Belarus) took bronze (250.50)

“My first jump didn’t work out at all, and I think after it I, somehow, let things loose a little bit, when I should’ve gotten them together. Everyone prepares differently; sometimes it fascinates me, watching my competitors dive in the Finals. I even clap if I feel like it. I think I got my bearings by the third-fourth dive, and on the fifth finally showed what I can do. All that support is really flattering; I feel like we’ve made some kind of mini history”, Elizaveta Kuzina shared her thoughts after winning on the three-metre springboard.

Then it was men’s turn on the ten-metre platform. Aleksandr Bondar (533.75 points) and Nikita Shleikher (518.50) of Russia won gold and silver, respectively, while Jesus Gonzalez (428.30) of Venezuela took bronze

The hosts of the Games also won the mixed platform competition. Ruslan Ternovoi and Iuliia Timoshinina brought gold medals to Russia with a score of 347.97 points.

Tuesday will be the final day of the BRICS Games diving competitions. Four sets of medals will be awarded for men and women in mixed diving: from three-metre springboard and ten-metre platform, respectively.

The semi-finalists of the phygital basketball tournament have been determined at Basket Hall, with the teams playing a sports simulation game on a console first and then meeting on a real court.

The Russian national team moved into the top four from the first place, having outplayed Belarus with a 30:28 score in the group stage final match. After losing three points following the digital stage, the tournament hosts managed to pull themselves together and win.

In the Semi-Finals, Russian basketball players will compete with Uzbekistan, while Belarus will face Brazil, the leaders of Group A. The deciding matches will be held on Tuesday.

Play-off matches have started at Kazan Tennis Academy. Semi-final games were held in the men’s team events. The Russian team defeated India with a 2:0 score, thanks to the victories of Ilia Simakin over Karan Singh (7:6, 1:6, 6:0) and Danil Panarin over Chirag Duhan (6:1, 6:2). Belarus easily beat Uzbekistan, winning with a 2:0 score as well. Now, these top teams will meet in the Finals on 19 June at Kazan Tennis Academy.

“Both sets got off to a bad start. I was able to win the first one, but lost the second. Maybe it was the heat, maybe I was tired. I came out for the third set completely different, started well and, most importantly, won. Today the weather’s better than before. It was shady, the sun came out by the third set, I liked it. The opponent from India is playing well, he is ranked 600^th in the world rankings. I think he plays more on soil than on hard court, that’s why he kept shortening so much today. I think that was his plan, which worked out quite well except for a couple of times. The atmosphere is amazing, I’m grateful to everyone who has and will continue to support me and our team. Thank you all very much!” said Ilia Simakin after reaching the BRICS Games Finals.

The play-off matches in the women’s team competition started from the 1/4 Finals. The Republic of Srpska defeated Iran with a 2:1 score, while India beat Uzbekistan with a 2:0 score.

Tomorrow, 18 June, they will be joined in the Semi-Finals by the teams of Russia and Belarus, who took first place in their groups and got into the 1/2 Finals straight away.

Preliminary and semi-final bouts took place on the starting day of the men’s wrestling competitions. The finalists were:

Ramiz Gamzatov (Russia) vs Nodirbek Jumanazarov (Uzbekistan), up to 57 kg category

Bashir Magomedov (Russia) vs Sardor Ruzimov (Uzbekistan), up to 61 kg category

Abasgadzhi Magomedov (Russia) vs Murad Hagverdiyev (Azerbaijan), up to 65 kg category

Kurban Shiraev (Russia) vs Begijon Kuldashev (Uzbekistan), up to 70 kg category

Murat Dzhakupov (Kazakhstan) vs Anzor Zakuev (Russia), up to 74 kg category

Orkhan Abasov (Azerbaijan) vs Magomed Magomaev (Russia), up to 79 kg category

Bobur Islomov (Uzbekistan) vs Malik Shavaev (Russia), up to 86 kg category

Nurcali Nurcaipuly (Kazakhstan) vs Gadzhimurad Magomedsaidov (Azerbaijan), up to 97 kg category

Shamil Musaev (Russia) vs Azamat Zasseev (South Ossetia), up to 125 kg category

Shamil Zubairov (Azerbaijan), Yaraslau Iadkouski (Belarus), Alan Bagaev (Russia), and Islyambek Ilyassov (Kazakhstan) are competing in the up to 92 kg category in the round-robin tournament. They have one fight left to play, which, like the finals in other weight categories, will be held on 18 June at Ak Bars Wrestling Palace.

The start of the chess tournament and the basketball double-header final - another eventful day at the BRICS Games.

Diving

The Aquatics Center will host the final day of diving competitions.

Four sets of medals will be played - in mixed diving from 10-meter tower and 3-meter springboard for men and women.

Among the participants are jumpers from Russia, Belarus, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela and Uzbekistan, including two-time BRICS-2024 gold medalist Elizaveta Kuzina.

The competitions will start at 12:00.

Freestyle wrestling

The women's 50kg, 53kg, 55kg, 57kg, 59kg, 62kg, 65kg, 68kg, 72kg and 76kg weight categories in freestyle wrestling competitions will be held on Tuesday. The Russian national team includes European bronze medalist Milana Dadasheva, European silver medalist Svetlana Lipatova and Olympic bronze medalist Ekaterina Bukina.

There will also be consolation matches and finals for wrestlers-volley wrestlers. Athletes from Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and South Ossetia will fight for gold medals. The competition day will start at 11:00.

Basketball Doubles

Basketball Hall will host semifinal and medal matches of the Basketball Tournament. In the 1/2 finals the Brazilian national team will meet with the team of the Republic of Belarus (beginning at 12:30), and Russian basketball players will play with Uzbekistan.

The colors of the Russian national team are defended by Vladislav Meleshkin, the winner of the Fijital Basketball tournament at the Future Games, and the leading players of the national 3x3 basketball team - Konstantin Grekov, Yuri Bespalov, Alexander Stepanov. Professional basketball players Sergei Vabishchevich, Maxim Sazonov, Maxim Lyutych and cyber sportsman Sergei Sukhanov play for Belarus.

The final will start at 14:30, and the game for bronze is also scheduled.

Chess

Chess competitions at the BRICS Games will start in the IT Park. A total of 6 sets of medals will be played in men's, women's and mixed chess, 3 of which will be played in blitz, and 3 will be played in rapid chess.

The Russian national team will be represented by some of the best grandmasters of the country: Andrey Esipenko, Vladislav Artemyev, Ekaterina Lagno and Valentina Gunina. The competitors are chess players from India, China, Brazil, Venezuela, UAE, Bahrain, Uzbekistan, Belarus and other countries.

The chess competition will last 4 days, from June 18 to 21. Each game day will start at 10:00.

Tennis

Semifinal matches of women's team competition and men's bronze medal match will be held at the Kazan Tennis Academy on Tuesday.

For women, the Russian team led by Polina Kudermetova will play against Republika Srpska, while India will compete against Belarus for the second place in the BRICS Games finals.

In the men's third place and bronze medal match, India will play against Uzbekistan.

The semifinal matches will start at 10:00.

BOXING

On June 19, the boxing competitions of the BRICS Games will start at the Boxing and Table Tennis Center.

The tournament will be held according to the Olympic system: 3 rounds of 3 minutes with elimination after defeat. During the first three days the participants will have preliminary fights. On June 22, the final fights will be held, in which 25 sets of medals will be played.

A number of notable boxers will take part in the competition, including the winner of the 2020 Olympic Games, two-time world champion Bakhodir Jalolov (over 92 kg) from Uzbekistan, vice world champion and participant of the 2020 Olympic Games Lyudmila Vorontsova (57 kg) from Russia, as well as world championship medalist Victoria Kebikova (81 kg) and participant of the 2020 Olympic Games Vladislav Smyaglikov (over 92 kg) from Belarus. In addition, boxers from Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe, China, Ethiopia, UAE, India and other countries are announced for the tournament. The beginning of the fights on June 19 - at 14:00.

CANOEING

Canoeing and kayaking competitions start today at the BRICS Games. Over 120 athletes from Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and India will compete for 29 sets of awards over four days. The program includes canoe races at 200, 500 and 1000 meters among men and women, in pairs and fours, as well as in mixed doubles.

Russia will be represented by such famous athletes as Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and multiple Russian champion Ilya Shtokalov, world bronze medalist Maxim Spesivtsev, two-time Russian champion Ekaterina Shlyapnikova, European bronze medalist and winner of national and international regattas Svetlana Chernigovskaya.

Stars from other countries also came to Kazan: junior European champion Victoria Vasilyeva, winner and runner-up of the Asian Championships and Asian Games Shahboz Kholmurzaev from Uzbekistan, multiple medalist of the Asian Games and participant of the Olympics of different years Mahsa Javer from Iran and many others.

Preliminary heats will start at 10:00 on June 19 at the Rowing Sports Center, and at 17:00 the final races will begin, where the first medalists will be determined: men in 200m and 1000m canoe and women in 200m and 500m canoe.

HORSE SPORTS

From June 19 to 21, the BRICS Games will be held at the Kazan International Equestrian Sports Complex, where 5 sets of awards will be given out (2 in jigging, 2 in tentpegging, 1 in equestrian archery)

Russia will be represented at the BRICS Games by masters of sport Fedor Efimov, Andrey Nenashev and Alexandra Kalinina, as well as world champion Grigory Feofanov.

The jigging competitions will start at 10:00, and from 15:00 spectators will be able to see the equestrian discipline of tentpegging.

SWIMMING

From June 19-21, the BRICS Games in Kazan will host swimming competitions. About 150 athletes from 17 countries, including Russia, Brazil, UAE, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and others, will compete for 37 sets of awards. The disciplines include various freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, integrated swimming and relay races for men and women, also in mixed format.

Russia's representatives include two-time national championships winner Vlada Yeggi, promising swimmer Miron Lifintsev, who set a world junior record in the 100-meter backstroke at the Russian Championships in Kazan 2024, and many others. World Championship medalist Joao Luiz Gomes Junior from Brazil, world champion Ilya Shimanovich, Olympic participant Alina Zmushko from Belarus and other famous athletes will also compete at the BRICS Games.

Preliminary heats will start at 10:00 at the Aquatics Palace. And at 18:00 the drawing of 12 sets of medals will begin: 50 and 200 meters backstroke, 50 and 400 meters freestyle, 100 and 200 meters butterfly, 100 and 200 meters breaststroke, and relay 4x100 meters freestyle among men and women.

WRESTLING

Wrestling competitions will continue at the BRICS Games in Kazan on Wednesday. Consolation bouts in women's wrestling will start at 11:00 at the Ak Bars Wrestling Palace, and from 18:00 the finals will be held, in which 10 sets of medals will be drawn. The winners will be determined in weight categories up to 50 kg, 53 kg, 55 kg, 57 kg, 59 kg, 62 kg, 65 kg, 68 kg, 72 kg and 76 kg.

After the group stage, the leaders in their categories are such notable wrestlers as bronze medalist of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and three-time medalist of the world championships Elena Shalygina from Kazakhstan (up to 72 kg), bronze medalist of the European Championship-2024 Alesya Getmanova (up to 57 kg) and silver medalist of the European Championship-2018 Anastasia Zimenkova (up to 76 kg), representing Belarus.

Also on this day, the tournament among Greco-Roman wrestlers will begin. The program includes preliminary bouts and semifinals. The Russian team will include Olympic medalist and world champion Sergei Emelin (63 kg), European champions Vitaly Kabaloev (55 kg), Emin Sefershaev (63 kg) and others.

TENNIS

The finals in the BRICS Games team tournaments will be held at the Kazan Tennis Academy on Wednesday. Both men's and women's national teams of Russia and Belarus will meet in the decisive duels.

Ilya Simakin, Danil Panarin, Igor Kudryashov, Polina Kudermetova, Ekaterina Maklakova and Elena Pridankina will represent the Russian team at the tournament. Erik Arutyunyan, Daniil Ostapenkov and Mikhail Dubrovsky, Evelina Laskevich, Daria Khomutyanskaya and Yulia Perepekhina will play for Belarus.

The deciding games, as well as the bronze medal match in the women's tournament between India and Republika Srpska, will start at 10:00.

FENCING

Fencing competitions will be held at the BRICS Games from June 19 to 22. About 170 athletes from 14 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Venezuela, UAE, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Belarus, Kazakhstan and others, will come to Kazan. A total of 12 sets of awards - fencing with epee, foil and saber for men and women in individual and team competitions - will be played.

Russia will be represented by the stars of the national fencing team - Olympic champions Timur Safin, Marta Martyanova, Sofia Velikaya, Yana Egorian and other famous athletes.

On June 19, the competition at the St. Petersburg Volleyball Center will be opened by women's foil sparring. The first duels will start at 9:00. During the first day there will be three full-fledged tournaments - for women on foils and sabers, and men on epee. Semifinal matches will begin at 17:30 and finals will start at 20:00.

CHESS

The chess competition will continue at the IT Park on Wednesday at the BRICS Games. The participants will play a blitz tournament.

One of the strongest grandmasters of Russia - Andrey Esipenko and Vladislav Artemyev for men, and Ekaterina Lagno and Valentina Gunina for women - are considered favorites. Their main rivals and medal contenders will be China's Xiangyu Xu and Jinshi Bai, as well as China's Qi Guo and India's Marie Ann Gomez and Padmini Routt.

The chess competition will continue until Friday, June 21. The game day will start at 10:00 am.

MEDIA ACTIVITIES

After the tennis finals there will be a press approach to the head of the Russian Tennis Federation Shamil Tarpishchev.

In the Basket Hall on the eve of the start of the tournament in soccer doubles a joint training session will be held by players of the Brazilian national team and two players of Rubin Kazan. The event will start at 20:30.

The winners of the BRICS Games diving and phygital basketball competitions determined.

The final sets of medals for the BRICS Games diving competitions were awarded at Aquatics Palace on Tuesday.

The duo of Evgenii Kuznetsov and Nikita Shleikher won in the synchronised jumps from the three-metre springboard. They scored a total of 446.34 points from the judges. Rafael Fogaça and Rafael Max of Brazil took silver (348.03 points), while Yauheni Kondratovich and Uladzislau Sonin of Belarus took bronze (341.73).

“I’m happy how we’ve finished the season with Zhenya [Kuznetsov]; now, we have a well-deserved holiday ahead, thank you all for congratulations, the international start is very important. The dives turned out really well, I’m madly grateful to my head coach, the specialists, a lot of work was done. We liked the sixth dive; we communicated with the audience through applause: they cheered us up, we cheered them up. The stands are often full in Kazan, so it’s especially nice to come here. Thank you to Tatarstan and all the spectators. We think our dives were alright, even though there are some things that could be better. The organisation and the atmosphere are the best, just like at other international starts,” Nikita Shleikher commented after the victory.

In women’s three-metre springboard jumps, the winners were Uliana Kliueva and Nadezhda Trifonova with a score of 305.40 points. Aliaksandra Alshanik and Aliona Zabrodskaya from Belarus took silver (253.86), while Anna Santos and Maria Moura of Brazil won bronze (241.56)

On the sixth day the ten-metre platform competitions continued. The men’s gold medals went to Aleksandr Bondar and Ruslan Ternovoi (456.18 points), silver to Alexandr Koloskov/Siarhei Malashonak from Belarus (342.36), bronze to Adithep Khopuechklang/Natthanon Sriprathum from Thailand (268.26).

The women’s gold medallists were Anna Konanykhina and Iuliia Timoshinina with a score of 321.54 points.

Ilya Zakharov, the BRICS Games Ambassador in Kazan and Olympic diving champion, met with the Games volunteers after the competition and thanked them for supporting the athletes.

“I want to personally thank you for all your work. Thank you very much for being here. You’re our defence in terms of running the competition and creating the mood. I say that as a former athlete. There are days when you’re just not feeling it, you come to the pool at 6 in the morning before the competition, and the volunteers greet you with a smile and help you. This is very encouraging!” Zakharov addressed the volunteers.

The Russian team finished the BRICS Games with 10 gold medals in diving. The Belarusian team has two silvers and three bronzes, Brazil – two silvers and one bronze, Venezuela – one silver and one bronze, and Thailand – one bronze.

The Russian team won the BRICS Games phygital basketball tournament. In the Finals, Russia defeated Belarus 23:15. The bronze medal went to Brazil, while Uzbekistan took fourth place.

First in the Finals, the Russian team conceded one point to Belarus after the digital stage (with a 7:8 score), but then found the strength to turn the tide and win. It should be noted that Russian line-up included Vladislav Meleshkin, who became the champion at the Games of the Future held in Kazan in February.

“We came here planning to win. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to the Finals, but a bronze medal is great, too,” said Luiz Guilherme Mattos of Brazil. “We really enjoyed the BRICS Games, we didn’t expect such an atmosphere and warm reception from the organisers and spectators.”

“We aimed for first place, we got it. It feels good. I can see how this sport will develop in time, competition will grow, stronger players will come, but to be the first now means to leave our mark in history,” said Yuriy Bespalov, Russian team player. “It’s not our first time in Kazan, and we’re well familiar with the fans, the city, and the organisation: we love it. This year’s BRICS Games is one of the best sporting events I’ve ever been to.”

The finalists of the women’s team tournament were determined at Kazan Tennis Academy. The Russian team, represented by Polina Kudermetova and Elena Pridankina, defeated the Republika Srpska 2:0, whereas the athletes from Belarus were stronger than the team from India with the same advantage. Russia and Belarus will also meet in the men’s final.

“I obviously plan to win in the Finals, and, most importantly, to give a good game so that the audience likes it. I’m not really tired as we had a lot of time to rest, long pauses between the meetings. So, I think that tomorrow we will be in good shape and will be able to show the best tennis,” said Darya Khamutsianskaya of the Belarusian national team.

The bronze medallist of the men’s tournament is the Indian team. It defeated the national team of Uzbekistan.

“We really set out to win gold for our country, but I know that everyone in the team tried hard: from the players to the captain and the coach, so everything is good; we also had great support. Even though we couldn’t get that gold, we’re happy with the bronze medal. We gave our best, so yes, I'm satisfied

It’s my first time in Kazan and in Russia. I consider this a very nice journey for me. The nature is incredible. I met a lot of nice people, made some new friends. People here are very friendly. I’m glad that I had such an opportunity to visit here, I hope I can come again,” said Chirag Duhan, a tennis player from India.

The first chess competition day took place in the IT Park. In the Rapid Chess discipline, the men’s competition was heated to the limit, with the top three finishing their games with the same result of 7.5 points; the places had to be determined according to additional indicators. Vladislav Artemiev of Russia took gold, Maksim Tsaruk of Belarus won silver, and Jinshi Bai of China got bronze.

In the women’s event, two Russians reached medal places: Ekaterina Lagno won gold with a score of 7.5 points, while Valentina Gunina (6.5) took bronze. Between them, Yuxin Song of China (6.5, higher than Gunina on tiebreak indicators) got silver)

“There was one tough game with Valentina Gunina, I saved her from a very difficult situation, miraculously not losing myself. It was a difficult schedule for rapid chess: the game day started at 10:00 and lasted almost without breaks. When you win, it seems that everything is fine and everything you planned has worked out, so of course I’m pleased with myself. Initially, I was the leader of the tournament in terms of rating, so everyone was doing their best, they all wanted to have a good game with me. I didn’t slack throughout the whole day of play, which paid off,” gold medallist Ekaterina Lagno shared her feelings.

Competitions in the Blitz discipline will continue on Wednesday, the game day will start at 10:00.

The first winners of the wrestling tournament were revealed on Tuesday: 10 sets of medals were awarded to freestyle wrestlers. Representatives of the Russian national team dominated on the mats of Ak Bars Wrestling Palace, winning nine gold and one bronze medal. Among the victors were world champion Abasgadzhi Magomedov and European champion Kurban Shiraev.

Up to 57 kg category

1. Ramiz Gamzatov (Russia)

2. Nodirbek Jumanazarov (Uzbekistan)

3. Dzimchyk Batamunkuyeu (Belarus)

Up to 61 kg

1. Bashir Magomedov (Russia)

2. Sardor Ruzimov (Uzbekistan)

3. Jeyhun Allahverdiyev (Azerbaijan)

Up to 65 kg

1. Abasgadzhi Magomedov (Russia)

2. Murad Hagverdiyev (Azerbaijan)

3. Daniil Kharchilava (Abkhazia) and Andrei Bekreneu (Belarus)

“I came here to win only. I’m glad that I managed to do so with time to spare. The BRICS Games are something new in my sporting career. It feels nice to earn another medal,” said Abasgadzhi Magomedov. “I really liked the organisation of the tournament: better than at the World and European Championships. The only thing I’d like to see in the future is stronger competitors.”

Up to 70 kg

1. Kurban Shiraev (Russia)

2. Begijon Kuldashev (Uzbekistan)

3. Niurgun Skriabin (Belarus) and Marat Kokoskeriya (Abkhazia)

“It feels incredible to win at such advanced competitions. I wrestled both at the CIS Games and the Spartakiade with more or less the same countries. And now it’s the BRICS Games; it’s my third time in Kazan and I’ve won at the same palace again. I’m definitely glad that I met the expectations, made my parents and my coach proud. This medal will give another impetus to keep on fighting; it’s surely boosted the motivation already,” Kurban Shiraev remarked.

Up to 74 kg

1. Anzor Zakuev (Russia)

2. Murat Dzhakupov (Kazakhstan)

3. Yahor Akulich (Belarus) and Dzhabrail Gadzhiev (Azerbaijan)

Up to 79 kg

1. Magomed Magomaev (Russia)

2. Orkhan Abasov (Azerbaijan)

3. Azamat Dzhioev (South Ossetia)

Up to 86 kg

1. Malik Shavaev (Russia)

2. Bobur Islomov (Uzbekistan)

3. Alan Zasseev (South Ossetia) and Arkadzi Pahasian (Belarus)

Up to 92 kg

1. Alan Bagaev (Russia)

2. Shamil Zubairov (Azerbaijan)

3. Yaraslau Iadkouski (Belarus)

Up to 97 kg

1. Gadzhimurad Magomedsaidov (Azerbaijan)

2. Rustam Shodiev (Uzbekistan)

3. Bady Maadyr Samdan (Russia) and Nurcali Nurcaipuly (Kazakhstan)

Up to 125 kg

1. Shamil Musaev (Russia)

2. Azamat Zasseev (South Ossetia)

3. Nursultan Azov (Kazakhstan)

Women wrestlers and Greco-Roman wrestlers will meet on the carpets on Wednesday.

The start of phygital football and rhythmic gymnastics, finals in chess and equestrian sports.

PHYGITAL FOOTBALL

The BRICS Games in Kazan will kick off a new discipline - the phygital football. The participants will first play against each other in a soccer simulator on a console and then go to the mini-football court. At the same time, the score gained in the digital stage is kept, so to win it is important to show yourself well both with a joystick in your hands and with the ball in your feet.

In the phygital football, 11 teams including Russia, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Belarus, Uzbekistan and others will compete for medals. They will be divided into four groups of three teams each (one of the groups will have two), from where the top 2 will go to the quarterfinals, which will be held according to the Olympic system of elimination. The final matches will be held on June 22.

Popular cyber soccer players Robert "Ufenok77" Fakhretdinov, Anton "Klenoff" Klenov and Stepan "Funki" Mikhovich will play for the Russian national team. They have repeatedly won at the Russian championships, as well as successfully showed themselves on the international arena. Young representatives of mini-football will be responsible for the physical part - in particular, the player of the Russian national team and winner of the World University Championship (2014) Nikita Fakhrutdinov.

Among the guests will be athletes who are already well acquainted with soccer doubles. For example, Eduardo Speck de Freitas (Eduardinho), a participant of the first Future Games in Kazan, will play for Brazil. And for Belarus will play, for example, Andrei Klok and Yaroslav Kascheev - representatives of FC Inform media club. They have managed to join the soccer collegiate even before the Future Games - they won prizes at the Fijital Games, which were held in Kazan in 2023.

The BRICS Football Tournament will open on June 20 at 10:30 with a match between Cuba and Vietnam at the BSS Basket Hall.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Rhythmic Gymnastics, one of the most popular sports, will start on Thursday at the BRICS Games. The program includes tournaments among adults (seniors) and juniors. Gymnasts will play 20 sets of medals in individual program and group exercises - in all-around and individual events. In addition to the four traditional disciplines (hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon) presented at the World Championships and Olympic Games, the participants will perform without apparatus.

In individual exercises Russia will be represented by Lala Kramarenko, the champion of Europe-2021 in the team event, and Anna Popova, the absolute champion of Russia 2023, while Belarus will be represented by Alina Gornosko, the Olympic medalist, and Anastasia Salos, the medalist of the World and European Championships. The strongest gymnasts from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, Moldova and other countries will also take part in the tournament.

On the first day, the participants will have to qualify in the individual program. Competitions will be held in FST "Gymnastics Center", the beginning - at 9:30.

BOXING

On Thursday the boxing tournament will continue - preliminary bouts in weight categories 46-48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63,5, 67, 71, 75, 80, 86, 92 and over kg for men and 45-48, 50, 52, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 66, 70, 75, 81 and over kg will be held. Olympic champion Bakhodir Jalolov from Uzbekistan, Olympic participants Lyudmila Vorontsova from Russia and Vladislav Smyaglikov from Belarus, as well as other athletes are competing for medals.

CANOEING AND KAYAKING

Four sets of prizes will be awarded at the canoeing competitions. At 10:00 at the Rowing Sports Center will begin preliminary races for 500 meters in canoeing and kayaking among pairs of men and women, and at 14:00 will start finals in these disciplines. And from 16:00 will start the cycle of competitions in individual format for 500 meters for men and 500 and 200 meters for women. Their semifinals and finals will be held the next day, June 21.

EQUESTRIAN SPORTS

Four sets of medals in equestrian sports will be awarded at the BRICS Games on Thursday.

The performance of South Africa's representatives on the first day of competition is noteworthy. Willem Petrus Nortye and Norman Yim Mostert became the leaders in the team standings in tentpegging after the intermediate phase, the duo has the highest chances for gold medals in this discipline.

We should not forget about the home team: according to the results of the intermediate competitions in jigging, the top three are exclusively Russian representatives - Kirill Nefedov, Grigory Feofanov and Ivan Kapsamun. Tomorrow they will be opposed by participants from Mongolia Temuchin Tsogthuu and Munh Arslan Zhavkhlantugs, who are in the top-6.

The competition day will start at 10:00.

SWIMMING

On the second competition day of the swimming tournament 12 sets of awards will be played. Women will swim 50 meters butterfly, 100 meters breaststroke and backstroke, 200 meters freestyle and 400 meters freestyle. The men will swim 50-meter breaststroke and backstroke, 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter freestyle and butterfly, as well as 1500-meter freestyle. And one more discipline of the day - mixed combined relay 4x100 meters.

The competition day will start with preliminary swims of the relay at 10:00 on the site of the USC "Aquatics Palace". Final swims will start at 18:00.

WRESTLING

The Greco-Roman wrestling competition at the BRICS Games will end on Thursday at the Ak Bars Wrestling Palace.

From 11:00 a.m. there will be bouts for the 3rd place and the remaining bouts on a round-robin system in weight up to 55 kg, where Farid Sadikhli (Azerbaijan) will go against Vitaly Kabaloev (Russia), and Maxim Stupakevich (Belarus) - against Iskhar Kurbayev (Kazakhstan). Final fights will begin at 15:00.

Up to 60 kg

Emin Sefershaev (Russia) - Mehroi Bahramov (Uzbekistan) - final.

Dahua Xiong (China) - Gleb Makarenko (Belarus) - for the 3rd place.

Up to 63 kg

Sergei Emelin (Russia) - Ziya Babashov (Azerbaijan) - finals

Talibsho Khaibarov (Belarus) - Husniddin Olimboev (Uzbekistan) - for the third place.

Up to 67 kg

Ruslan Bichurin (Russia) - Tavakgul Khaziyev (Azerbaijan) - finals

Minchen Yang (China) - Nozimjon Boykuziev (Uzbekistan) - for 3rd place

Up to 72 kg

Meirzhan Shermakhanbet (Kazakhstan) - Narek Ohanyan (Russia) - finals

Urfan Hasanli (Azerbaijan) - Javid Gyasi (Afghanistan) - for 3rd place

Up to 77 kg

Sergei Stepanov (Russia) - Ramazan Arapkhanov (Abkhazia) - finals

Tulkin Tuyev (Uzbekistan) - Kanan Abdullazade (Azerbaijan) - for the 3rd place.

Up to 82 kg

Rafael Yunusov (Russia) - Stanislav Shafarenko (Belarus) - finals

Tunjai Vazirzade (Azerbaijan) - Tamerlan Shadukayev (Kazakhstan) - for the 3rd place.

Up to 87 kg

Vahag Margaryan (Russia) - Igor Yaroshevich (Belarus) - finalist

Abdulloh Abdumutalibov (Uzbekistan) - Mahammad Ahmadiyev (Azerbaijan) - for the 3rd place.

Up to 97 kg

Arif Niftullayev (Azerbaijan) - Vladislav Pustoshilov (Belarus) - finals

Nikolay Khomenko (Russia) - Erzat Erlanov (Kazakhstan) - for the 3rd place.

Up to 130 kg

Nokhcho Labazanov (Russia) - Dmitry Zarubsky (Belarus) - finalist

Zhakhongir Akbarov (Uzbekistan) - Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan) - for 3-4th places

Chenmao Cui (China) - Islam Umaev (Kazakhstan) - for 3-4th places.

FENCING

Three sets of awards will be played on the second day of fencing competitions at the BRICS Games. This time the champions in men's foil and sabre and women's epee will be determined. The individual competitions will end at the same time - the next two days will be devoted to team performances.

From 9:00 at the Volleyball Center "St. Petersburg" will start sparring among men with foils. The semifinal stage will start at 17:30, and the final duels - at 20:00.

CHESS

On Thursday at the IT Park named after Bashir Rameyev. One set of awards will be played in chess in Bashir Rameyev IT Park.

Grandmasters from Russia, China, India, Brazil, Venezuela, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Abkhazia and other countries will compete in mixed pairs in the discipline "Rapid Chess".

The front-runners of the tournament are grandmasters from Russia - two-time winner of the BRICS Games Ekaterina Lagno, as well as the champions of individual competitions in rapid chess and blitz in men's division Vladislav Artemyev and Andrey Esipenko.

The competition day will start at 10:00.

Twelve sets of medals were awarded to swimmers on the BRICS Games first swimming competition day.

Sofia Diakova of Russia won gold in the 400-metres freestyle. Nikolai Kolesnikov (Russia) swam the same distance best among men, being a fraction of a second ahead of Stephan Alexander De Freitas Steverink (Brazil). In the 50-metres backstroke, Milana Stepanova (Russia) took the gold. The best in the 200-metres backstroke was Miron Lifintsev of Russia.

“I’m not particularly satisfied with my result. I have to swim, swim, and swim again, there is still a lot to learn. What’s important for me at competitions is how full the stands are and how supportive the spectators are. Everything is very good here in this regard”, said Miron.

German Zazhirskii of Russia won gold in the 100-metres butterfly, while Serafima Fokina (Russia) won gold in the 200 metres. Meanwhile, the Belarusian athletes did better at the breaststroke: Alina Zmushka won the 200 metres and Ilya Shymanovich won the 100 metres.

“We’re getting ready for the Olympics, there will be a couple more starts in the near future, we’re getting in shape for the key competitions. That being said, the atmosphere here is great. Everyone is having fun in the village, taking their minds off the sporting stress, it’s nice. But we still have two more days of competition ahead”, said Shymanovich

Victor Guimaraes Alcara won the 50-metres freestyle, adding another medal to Brazil’s collection. Women’s 50-metres freestyle was dominated by Mariia Poleshchuk of Russia.

The final heat of the men’s 4x100-metres freestyle relay was dramatic. The Russian team had accumulated an advantage of more than a second over their Brazilian opponents by the fourth segment of the race. However, in the last 50-metre stage, the Brazilian made a strong run for the leader, but ended up just 0.01 seconds behind. As a result, Russia came first, Brazil was second, and Belarus was third. In the women’s relay, the victory of the Russian team was more confident, with the athletes from Brazil taking the second place and the South African team rounding out the top three.

Wednesday’s boxing tournament featured preliminary bouts in men’s weight categories of 46-48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63.5, 67, 71, 75, 80, 86, 92 and over kg, and women’s weight categories of 45-48, 50, 52, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 70, 75, 81 and over kg.

Boxers from Russia, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, China, South Africa, India, Azerbaijan, Syria, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and other countries took part in the competitions. The bouts will continue with preliminary bouts on Thursday.

The starting day of the BRICS Games canoe sprint competitions was successful for both Russia and Belarus. In the first Finals, Maksim Oselyodko of Russia won the 200-metres kayaking. Second and third place went to Dzmitry Tratsiakou and Aliaksei Misiuchenka of Belarus.

“The competition is high. This is our third year of racing with Belarusians, and it’s convenient that three athletes at once can contest here in the BRICS Games. If these were European or World Championships, only one person from a country would be allowed to participate. However, the current format allows the competitors to show more”, said the winner.

The 200-metre canoeing race was very tense: the top three medallists were separated from each other by tenths of a second. The victory went to Artur Guliev from Uzbekistan. Sergey Svinaryov of Russia took silver, while Aliaksandr Zubok of Belarus took bronze.

“Winning feels so good, especially with such high competition among the famous athletes. Thank you to my colleagues for the fight, and also thank you to everyone who supported us and cheered for us”, the champion commented.

In women’s 200-metres canoeing, the first and second places were taken by rowers from the Republic of Belarus: Alena Nazdrova and Inna Nedelkina, while the third place went to Ekaterina Shlyapnikova of Russia. In the 500-metres kayaking, the whole podium was taken by Belarusian athletes: Lizaveta Vilkova, Maryna Litvinchuk, and Volha Khudzenka.

The winners of the men’s 1,000-metres canoe sprint competitions were determined last. In kayaking, Uladzislau Kravets (Belarus) took the first place, Maksim Spesivtsev (Russia) finished second, while Dzianis Yermolenka of Belarus was the third. And in the 1,000-metres canoeing, the best were Russian athletes: Ilya Pervukhin (gold) and Ilya Shtokalov (silver), with Ivan Patapenka (Belarus) winning bronze.

The equestrian sports competitions have started at Kazan International Equestrian Sports Complex and will last until 21 June.

Performances in free dzhigitovka individual event took place on Wednesday, with the intermediate top three consisting of Russians: Kirill Nefedov was first with 148.50 points, Grigoriy Feofanov was second (119.50), and Ivan Kapsamun (107.50) was third.

In tent pegging individual event, the first in the intermediate competition was Norman Jim Mostert of South Africa (46 points), the second was Fedor Efimov of Russia (40), and the third was Ihar Piasetski of Belarus (39.5). In the team tent pegging, South Africa also has an intermediate lead: Willem Petrus Nortje and Norman Jim Mostert scored 24 points.

Four sets of medals will be awarded at the BRICS Games equestrian sports on Thursday, 20 June.

The winners of 10 sets of awards in the BRICS Games women’s wrestling were determined on Wednesday. Representatives of the Russian national team won seven gold, one silver, and one bronze medal.

Up to 50 kg

1. Elizaveta Smirnova (Russia)

2. Tian Ai Shi (China)

3. Kseniya Stankevich (Belarus)

“I’m happy that I was able to fulfil the hopes of my coaches. The competition was quite tough, so I can’t say that the victory came easily. Everything at the BRICS Games is very well organised, all the conditions have been created: accommodation, meals, entertainment programme. I liked everything”, said Elizaveta Smirnova, winner of the Russian Championships.

Up to 53 kg

1. Elnura Mammadova (Azerbaijan)

2. Jin Zhang (China)

3. Milana Dadasheva (Russia)

Up to 55 kg

1. Aleksandra Skirenko (Russia)

2. Aryna Martynava (Belarus)

3. Gultakin Shirinova (Azerbaijan)

Up to 57 kg

1. Alesia Hetmanava (Belarus)

2. Marina Simonyan (Russia)

3. Wenrui Hai (China)

Up to 59 kg

1. Svetlana Lipatova (Russia)

2. Nadzeya Bulanaya (Belarus)

3. Dilfuza Aimbetova (Uzbekistan)

“It feels amazing to win at home with such stands. There were a lot of close fans of mine. I wanted to win and show that wrestling is also developing in Russia. This medal gives me a big boost ahead of new starts. I’d like to mention the excellent organisation of the tournament. As for my opponents, I’m sure that the competition will increase with each next Games”, said Svetlana Lipatova, silver medallist of the European Championship.

Up to 62 kg

1. Ekaterina Koshkina (Russia)

2. Nigina Sabirova (Uzbekistan)

3. Juliana Oliveira Santos (Brazil)

Up to 65 kg

1. Valeria Dondupova (Russia)

2. Tatsiana Paulava (Belarus)

3. Dinora Rustamova (Uzbekistan)

Up to 68 kg

1. Vusala Parfianovich (Russia)

2. Yuqi Rao (China)

3. Hanna Sadchanka (Belarus)

Up to 72 kg

1. Olesya Bezuglova (Russia)

2. Yelena Shalygina (Kazakhstan)

3. Svetlana Oknazarova (Uzbekistan)

Up to 76 kg

1. Anastasiya Zimiankova (Belarus)

2. Culmaral Yerkebayeva (Kazakhstan)

3. Jingru Sun (China)

“I haven’t realised the victory yet, there are no emotions. Everything will dawn on me tomorrow, I think. Something didn’t go according to plan on the mat, but I was able to get my bearings, plus the coaches helped, so I thank them. The level of competitors was quite high, representatives of all countries were ready to win”, said Anastasiya Zimiankova, bronze medallist of the 2018 European Championship.

Preliminary and semi-final bouts of Greco-Roman wrestling took place as well. Sergey Emelin, Russian Olympic medallist; Dzmitry Zarubski, Belarusian champion; and other athletes will compete for gold medals on Thursday.

Team tennis competitions have come to an end at the Kazan Tennis Academy with two sets of medals being awarded to the winners. The teams of Russia and Belarus met in both finals, while the bronze medals in both men’s and women’s categories went to the Indian team.

The national teams of Russia and Belarus met in the Men’s Finals. In the first meeting, Ilia Simakin lost to Erik Arutiunian in the opening set (4:6), then won several match points in the second game tiebreak (7:6, 12:10), and afterwards gained the advantage and left his opponent no chance, scoring 6:1. Danil Panarin defeated Daniil Ostapenkov in two sets and brought gold medal to the Russian team.

The battle for gold in the women’s event was no less intense. Polina Kudermetova defeated Evialina Laskevich in three sets (6:2, 5:7, 7:5), with the Russian needing a medical timeout in the course of the match. Elena Pridankina defeated Darya Khamutsianskaya with a 2:0 score (6:3, 6:0), sealing another win for Russia at the BRICS Games.

“I managed to pace myself and take to the court at my peak. Obviously, I was far from calm on the inside. I got all the deciding balls; the serve was right. The second set was almost impeccable. I feel motivated to keep on working. It was interesting to play at the final stage, there were no easy opponents. But I was at my peak, so I succeeded. The best part about the BRICS Games was the Village. Thanks to the organisers of the evening events. Everything was incredible”, Elena Pridankina remarked.

All three golds on the first fencing competition day were won by the Russians, who faced their compatriots in the Finals as well. In épée, Georgiy Bruev had an equal encounter with Artyom Sarkisian, while the bronze went to Mark Semanenka (Belarus) and Aleksei Udovichenko (Russia). Marta Martyanova was the strongest in foil, defeating Anna Solovyeva in the Finals. Bronze medals went to Vladislava Penyushkina (Russia) and Darya Ulasava (Belarus).

Among women’s sabre fencers, all four Russian athletes entered in the tournament made it to the Semi-Finals. Bronze went to Veronika Bulukova and Yana Egoryan.

“All four are ours: that’s what matters. After all, we didn’t come here for ourselves but to represent the country. And that’s very important. It’s good that we didn’t face each other in the draw, thus reaching the Semi-Finals together”, shared Yana Egoryan. The gold medal was won by Sofya Velikaya, who defeated her compatriot, Olga Nikitina, with a 14:12 score.

Two more sets of medals in the Blitz chess discipline were awarded on Wednesday in IT Park named after Bashir Rameev.

The men’s tournament was won by the Russian grandmaster Andrey Esipenko (9 points), who was ahead of his compatriot, Vladislav Artemiev (8.5), and Maksim Tsaruk of Belarus (7.5) after 11 rounds.

The women’s tournament was dominated by Ekaterina Lagno of Russia (10.5 points), who won her second gold medal at the BRICS Games 2024. Second and third places went to Chinese competitors: Yuxin Song (9) and Qi Guo (8.5).

“I’m very happy with my performance today, especially after not giving my best in rapid chess the day before. All the games were tough, the opponents were serious. I’m glad I won. I’d like to commend the players from China, Uzbekistan, and India, they all competed very well. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to play with Vlad, the gap between us was only 0.5; our face-to-face meeting decided today’s results. This is a very important tournament for me: I’m playing for the national team for the first time since 2021, so I take the Games very seriously. I think the fact that chess is included in the BRICS Games programme is extremely important; dare I say that I’ve been preparing for the competition my whole life”, stated Andrey Esipenko, Russian Grandmaster, after winning the Blitz.

The competitions will continue on Thursday, 20 June.

The Brazilian national phygital football team and Rubin Kazan player Ruslan Bezrukov held a joint training session before the start of the Latin American team in the BRICS Games.

The competition will be held in "Basket Hall" from June 20 to 22. As part of the tournament, teams will have to show their skills in a football simulator and then play on a real court. All scored goals will be summarized. Brazilian athletes have already demonstrated their skills in similar competitions - they won the Pgygital Games and made it to the playoffs of the Games of Future in Kazan.

The Brazilian national team players warmly greeted Ruslan and noted that they knew about Rubin Kazan and the club's successes. They explained to Bezrukov the subtleties of playing the football simulator, after which the athletes split into pairs and played against each other in Volta mode.

Not without warming up on the court with a ball, and then the players exchanged souvenirs and wishes for the future. Each player of the Brazilian national team received from Bezrukov a T-shirt and a cap with the symbol of Rubin.

"I always wanted to play with the Brazilians, and we can say that my dream came true today. It was interesting to try the format of a Phygital Football. I am sure that the fans will not regret coming to watch the BRICS Games tournament in this sport," said Ruslan Bezrukov.

"We are happy to be in Kazan again and to get acquainted with another marvelous sports arena - Basket Hall. It is a great honor for our team to have a training session with a Rubin player. This club is known and respected in Brazil, many great players from our country played in Kazan and achieved success with Rubin. We hope to please the spectators of the BRICS Games with a bright game, and if we manage to win, we will be doubly happy! We are waiting for you in the stands!" - said the Brazilian team manager Renato.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

Six sets of medals will be awarded at the rhythmic gymnastics competitions at the BRICS Games in Kazan on Friday. The program of the tournament includes all-around and qualification for the finals in individual events in group exercises and all-around finals in individual program.

The audience will see the performances of the strongest gymnasts of Russia - Lala Kramarenko, Anna Popova, Diana Chugunikhina, Karina Kireeva, as well as titled representatives of Belarus - Anastasia Salos, Elizaveta Zorkina and others.

The beginning of the competition in FST "Gymnastics Center" is scheduled for 10:00.

BOXING

The semifinal bouts for men and women will be held on Friday at the BRICS Games boxing competition. The tournament is held in weight categories of 46-48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63.5, 67, 71, 75, 80, 86, 92 and over kg for men and 45-48, 50, 52, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 70, 75, 81 and over kg for women.

The fights will be held in the SC "Boxing and Table Tennis Center". Semifinal bouts for women will start at 12:00, for men - at 16:00.

CANOEING AND KAYAKING

Six sets of prizes will be awarded to the participants of the BRICS Games on the third competition day in canoeing. These will be individual races among men and women in 200 and 500 meters. Since the preliminary races were held the day before, the morning at the FST "Rowing Sports Center" will start with the semifinals, and already at 11:00 the final races will start.

The second half of the day, starting at 14:00, will be devoted to preliminary races for men's and women's pairs for 200 and 1000 meters - up to the semifinals, which will be held at 16:00. The winners in these disciplines will be determined on June 22.

CHESS

The final set of awards in chess will be played on Friday. In the discipline "Blitz" in mixed pairs will compete chess players from 16 countries, including grandmasters from Russia (Vladislav Artemyev, Andrey Esipenko, Ekaterina Lagno, Valentina Gunina), China (Bai Jinshi, Xu Xiangyu, Qi Guo, Song Yuxin), India (Aronyak Ghosh, Vishnu Prasanna Vasanthan, Marie Ann Gomez, Padmini Rout) and Uzbekistan (Abdimalik Abdisalimov, Saidakbar Saidaliev, Umida Omonova, Marjona Malikova).

The competitions will start in the IT Park named after Bashir Rameyev. Bashir Rameyev IT Park - at 10:00.

FENCING

At the BRICS Games, the individual championships are over and the team fencing competitions are starting. On June 21, three sets of awards will be played throughout the day - in epee for men, and rapiers and sabers for women. The first meetings at the St. Petersburg Volleyball Center will start with sparring among women in rapier at 9:00. The semifinal matches will begin at 12:30 and the finals at 16:00.

Among the tournament participants are the Russian Olympic gold medal-winning sabre/rapiers team led by Sofia Velikaya, Yana Egorian and Marta Martyanova.

PHYGITAL FOOTBALL

On the second day of the phygital football tournament the final games of the group stage will take place and the play-off stage will start. At 10:30 the teams of Vietnam and Belarus will take to the arena of BSS "Basket Hall", then South Ossetia and Venezuela, as well as Iran and Uzbekistan will meet. According to their results all participants of the quarterfinals will be known, which will start at 16:00.

SWIMMING

On the final day of swimming competitions at the BRICS Games, participants will compete for 13 sets of awards. Men will swim 50 meters butterfly, 100 meters backstroke, 200 meters breaststroke, 400 meters freestyle, 400 meters medley and 4x100 meters combined relay. Women will swim the distances of 50 meters breaststroke, 100 meters freestyle and butterfly, 200 meters backstroke, 800 meters freestyle and the final combined relay 4x100 meters.

Preliminary heats in the "Aquatics Palace" will begin at 10:00, and the finals will start at 18:00.

JUDO

Judo competitions start at the BRICS Games. Over 180 athletes will compete for 14 sets of awards over two days. Men will compete in the 60, 66, 73, 73, 81, 90, 100 and 100+ kilogram weight categories, while women will compete in the 48, 52, 57, 63, 70, 78 and 78+ kilogram weight categories. Judokas from 16 countries, including Russia, Brazil, China, Moldova, Syria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and others, gathered in Kazan.

The Russian national team is represented by 14 of the country's strongest athletes. Among them, in particular, the winners of national championships Aina Moiseeva and Irina Zueva, as well as the champion of the recent Grand Slam tournament in Tbilisi Ivan Chernykh. Also competing at the BRICS Games will be Continental Cup bronze medalist and Belarus champion Daria Kontsevaya, Belarus champion and member of the famous sports family Konrad Shoka, the first in the history of Kyrgyz judo world championship medalist and winner of the Asian Junior Tournament Chyngyzkhan Sagynaliev, and many others.

The first bouts will begin at the Tatneft Arena on May 21 at 10:00. On this day the champions among men in weight 60, 66 and 73 kg, and among women in weight 63, 70, 78 and 78+ kilograms will be determined.

KORESH

On Friday, the Ak Bars Wrestling Palace will host koresh competitions as part of the BRICS Games. More than a hundred athletes from 27 countries will compete for medals in 10 weight categories.

The strongest wrestlers, including the winner of the World Championship in the absolute weight category Radik Salakhov, will compete in the Russian national team. In addition to the Russians, one of the main medal contenders will be Turkmenistan's Begench Kakaliev (70 kg) and Novruz Kakalyev (75 kg), who won the World Koresh Championship, as well as the experienced Zailobiddin Artikov (100 kg) from Uzbekistan, who won the World Championship and Universiade-2013.

Preliminary bouts will be held from 9:00, final bouts - from 15:30.

ACTIVITIES FOR MEDIA

At the Gymnastics Center during the Junior Women's Individual All-Around Finals (11:30-14:00), the president of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation Irina Viner will make an exclusive statement about a promising gymnast she spotted ahead of the BRICS Games.

Following the finals in the fencing tournament, there will be an autograph session for Olympic champions Sofia Velikaya and Marta Martyanova.

The men’s and women’s preliminary bouts were held on the second day of the BRICS Games boxing competitions at the Boxing and Table Tennis Centre.

Following the results of the bouts, Ilya Popov (63.5 kg) of Russia, the winner of the 2018 Youth Olympic Games; Nabi Isgandarov (67 kg), multiple champion of Azerbaijan; Lyudmila Voroncova of Russia, silver medallist of the 2019 World Championship; Turabek Khabibullaev (80 kg) of Uzbekistan, bronze medallist of the 2022 Asian Games; Nigina Uktamova of Uzbekistan, winner of the 2021 World Youth Championships; Arshak Tovmasyan (60 kg) and Anna Aedma (52 kg), Russian champions; and some others made it to the Semi-Finals.

Four sets of medals were awarded in team disciplines on the second day of the BRICS Games canoe sprint competitions. Ivan Epishin and Vasiliy Pogreban (Russia) won gold in the 500-metres kayaking, while Dmitriy Sharov and Mikhail Pavlov (Russia) were the fastest in canoeing. The final canoe race among women was won by Marina Gureeva and Ekaterina Shlyapnikova from Russia, whereas athletes from Belarus took the whole podium in kayaking: Volha Khudzenka and Maryna Litvinchuk became champions.

“Only the weather is failing so far: the wind direction can be such that some athletes have advantages on the first lanes. But this should not hinder the strongest", Volha Khudzenka said after the victory. “The first time we were in Kazan was at the Universiade. We came straight from the London Olympics, and the organisation here was way better. And today, the main start of the season for us is the BRICS Games.”

Third chess competition day came to an end in IT Park named after Bashir Rameev.

One set of medals was awarded today in the Rapid Chess mixed doubles discipline. Gold medals were won by the Russian team (Vladislav Artemiev, Andrey Esipenko, Kateryna Lagno, Valentina Gunina), second place and silver medals of the BRICS Games went to the Chinese team (Jinshi Bai, Xiangyu Xu, Qi Guo, Yuxin Song), bronze medals were won by chess players from Uzbekistan (Abdimalik Abdisalimov, Saidakbar Saydaliev, Umida Omonova, Marjona Malikova).

“On the one hand, and it’s obvious, when you play as a team there are certain unspoken rules, each member of the team is responsible for the result: if you lose, you feel guilty; on the other hand, there are some advantages, you don’t always have to play individual matches. Today was tough, the game left room for improvement, there were both good moments and bad; tomorrow we must definitely do better. The BRICS Games is a great endeavour and a great event for Kazan. You can see that long preparations have been made, the whole city is transformed, more beautiful. The organisation is at the highest level, everything is excellent”, Russian grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev shared his thoughts after today’s victory.

Four sets of medals in equestrian sports were awarded at Kazan International Equestrian Sports Complex.

Athletes from seven countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Mongolia, Turkey, Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan, gave their performances in dzhigitovka.

Yernat Sultan from Kazakhstan (115.2 points) and his horse Appolon won the gold medal of the BRICS Games in the individual event, while the Russians Grigoriy Feofanov (114.9) and Kirill Nefedov (110.7) took the silver and bronze medals, respectively.

The hosts of the Games took gold in the team event. The Russian team (Grigoriy Feofanov / Kirill Nefedov) scored 5 points on the sum of places. Silver went to Kazakhstan (Yernat Sultan / Zhalgasbek Suleimenkulov, 6 points), and bronze went to Belarus (Ilya Datskevich / Mikalai Platnitski, 13 points).

“The organisers of the BRICS Games modified the dzhigitovka discipline slightly so that foreign athletes could adapt to the rules, as the disciplines are different in Russia and abroad. It would’ve been quite hard for other participants to adjust to new conditions in such short terms. We’d like to praise the Kazakhs: they performed very well, passed all the stages. We performed okay in dzhigitovka, considering the fact that everyone received their horses here already. It’s standard practice for international starts, everyone is on an equal footing. In this respect, the horses are like cars, for example; we get used to them pretty quickly”, Grigoriy Feofanov and Kirill Nefedov spoke about the subtleties of dzhigitovka competitions, based on their performances at the BRICS Games.

The second session of the competition day treated the spectators to the tent pegging competitions. The main favourites of this discipline were athletes from South Africa (Willem Petrus Nortje / Norman Jim Mostert, 42 points) and the State of Kuwait (Mohammad Alajmi / Abdullah Alhendi, 35.5 points), who won gold and silver in the team event, respectively. Bronze medals went to the Belarusian team (Ilya Datskevich / Mikalai Platnitski, 34 points).

In the individual event, Fedor Efimov of Russia won gold (79 points), Norman Jim Mostert of South Africa took silver (77.5), and Ihar Piasetski of Belarus took bronze (71.5).

“This is our first time in Russia, in Kazan. We loved everything in terms of organisation, Russia and Kazan made really good arrangements for the athletes. This BRICS Games were the first for us, and it’s definitely great that we’re taking part in a competition of this scale. The level of competitors in tent pegging was alright, everyone was ready for the conditions of the competition. I don’t think there were weak opponents for us here. Many of the favourites were really competent, you can tell that they’ve competed at such events already, as held here in Kazan”, said Norman Jim Mostert, the BRICS gold medallist representing South Africa.

In fencing, all first places were taken by athletes from Russia, just as on the first day of the individual event. In the foil tournament, Kirill Borodachev took gold after defeating his compatriot, Timur Safin, in the Finals. “The level of competition is good. Representatives of various countries came, they have their own marks, we have ours, everyone has room to grow. But you can see that the guys are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I wish them success. I dedicate my victory to everyone who supported me, to my coaches and relatives”, Kirill Borodachev said. “The scale of the BRICS Games is immense, I’m in awe.” Mukhammad Yusuf Asranov of Uzbekistan and Anton Borodachev of Russia took bronze in this discipline.

The results were the same among the sabre fencers: the Finals were held between the Russians, with Dmitrii Danilenko snatching victory from Kirill Tyulyukov in equal sparring. “No words, just a storm of different feelings. I spent the whole year preparing for these competitions, qualifying. I came here and won. It’s amazing. Life can’t be better. I just had a baby boy. So, I dedicate this victory to my wife and my son”, said Dmitrii. “I think it’s no secret that Russia holds the best competitions in the world. The organisation here is excellent, as always, up to par.” Musa Aymuratov of Uzbekistan and Kamil Ibragimov of Russia took bronze in the sabre tournament.

In the women’s épée tournament, the Russians Tatiana Gudkova defeated Milen Bavuge Khabimana in the Finals. Aliaksandra Tsurskaya (Belarus) and Ayzanat Murtazaeva (Russia) won bronze.

The games of the phygital football group stage took place on the first day of this BRICS Games competition. The first match gave the fans a penalty shootout: Cuba and Vietnam finished the digital and physical stages with a 4:4 score. But in the penalty shootout, the Cubans were stronger, scoring 3:1 and winning the opening match.

The second meeting had Russia confidently beating South Ossetia with a 18:2 score. Abkhazia defeated Iran with a 8:5 score, while the team from Kazakhstan was stronger than Brazil, one of the tournament favourites (5:4).

“We liked the phygital football format overall, it’s something interesting and new for us. Usually, we play classic “futsal”, and here there are big gates, smaller fields, and there are boards. Very interesting; we’re still getting used to it while trying to give our best”, said Vladislav Chernomordov, the player of the Kazakh team. “The atmosphere at the Games is incredible. A special thanks to the fans for coming to support not only the tournament hosts, but also Kazakhstan, their neighbours and brothers. We are very grateful.”

The main time in the match between the teams of Cuba and Belarus ended with the score of 10:10, but the Cubans had a good deal of luck in the penalty shootout again, scoring 8:7, achieving victory, and getting to the Quarter-Finals.

The Russian national team has also secured the play-offs: it defeated Venezuela with a 15:4 score. The match between Abkhazia and Uzbekistan ended with a score of 10:10, and the outcome of the match was again decided by a penalty shootout for the third time this day. Athletes from Uzbekistan were more successful.

Qualifications in the individual routine for juniors and seniors took place during the BRICS Games rhythmic gymnastics competitions on Thursday.

Among the seniors, Russia’s rising rhythmic gymnastics star, Anna Popova, was the best in three events at once: she won the ball (36.050 points), clubs (35.800), and without apparatus (38.900). Russia’s Mariya Borisova (36.350), representing the “Sky Grace” team, took first place in the hoop exercise. Diana Chugunikhina (33.850), representing the Russian national team, was unrivalled in the ribbon exercise. The Finals in individual routines will be held on 22 June.

All-round competitions and qualifications for the Individual All-Around Finals in group routines and the Individual All-Round Finals in individual routines will be held on 21 June.

Twelve sets of medals were awarded to the BRICS Games participants on the third day of the swimming competitions. Just like in the previous days, the national teams of Russia, Belarus, and Brazil have shown the best results.

Young Russian swimmer Miron Lifintsev won the second gold medal of the BRICS Games in the 50 metres backstroke. Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus was the fastest in the same distance for breaststroke. Anastasiya Kuliashova (Belarus) won the 50 metres butterfly among women.

Russian athlete Roman Zhidkov won the 100 metres freestyle. Alina Zmushka (Belarus) was the best at the same distance in breaststroke: this is her second gold at the current BRICS Games. “I won this distance quite easily, but I’d like to have done better. I feel a little tired, but overall I’m satisfied", the two-time gold medallist commented. “The preparation process was not easy. My coach and I experimented with adjustments to technique and strength training and monitored the results from start to start.”

Another Belarusian athlete, Anastasiya Shkurdai, won gold in the 100 metres backstroke, while Sofia Diakova of Russia won the 200 metres freestyle: her second gold in two days.

“I’ve improved my time, it’s not bad, it’s decent, but I always want to do better. This season I’ll try to perfect my results even more. Today was my last performance, two golds in two days is splendid, I’m very happy”, said Sofia. Mikhail Shcherbakov (Russia) won the same distance in the medley, whereas Ivan Shamshuryn (Belarus) showed the best result in the butterfly. Victoriia Blinova (Russia) won the 400 metres medley. Thiago Maturana Ruffini won the only gold for Brazil on that day, dominating the 1,500 metres freestyle.

Finally, in the mixed medley relay, the victory was snatched by the Belarusian team literally at the last seconds. The Russians got silver, the Brazilians took bronze.

Vladimir Salnikov, President of the Russian Swimming Federation, praised the prospects of the BRICS Games.

“I’m positive that the BRICS Games will definitely take their place in the international sports calendar. These are interesting competitions that attract the attention of athletes, spectators, and the press, so their importance will grow. There will be more countries, more competition, more support and feelings. That being said, I think we are only at the initial stage of the BRICS Games development”, Salnikov predicted.

The wrestling competitions of the BRICS Games in Kazan concluded on Thursday. Ten sets of medals were awarded to Greco-Roman wrestlers. Athletes from Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Azerbaijan became champions in their respective weight categories.

Up to 55 kg

1. Iskhar Kurbayev (Kazakhstan)

2. Vitaliy Kabaloev (Russia)

3. Ikhtiyor Botirov (Uzbekistan)

Up to 60 kg

1. Emin Sefershaev (Russia)

2.​​ Mehroj Bakhramov (Uzbekistan)

3. Hleb Makaranka (Belarus)

Up to 63 kg

1. Sergey Emelin (Russia)

2. Ziya Babashov (Azerbaijan)

3. Khusniddin Olimboev (Uzbekistan)

“The BRICS Games are magnificent. The organisation is so much better than that at the Russian Championships; now’s an international tournament after all. And we have that team spirit, that excitement, it’s extremely important for the athletes. The level of competitors is quite high. Suffice it to say that my opponent from Azerbaijan in the Finals is the winner of the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships, and I lost to him at the World Military Championships that year. So yeah, it wasn’t easy”, admitted Sergey Emelin, bronze medallist of the Tokyo Olympics.

Up to 67 kg

1. Ruslan Bichurin (Russia)

2. Tavakgul Haziyev (Azerbaijan)

3. Nozimjon Boykuziev (Uzbekistan)

“The BRICS Games may well replace international competitions. There were seven participants in my weight category, all from different countries. Whoever dared, came. The Athletes’ Village is similar to the Olympic Village: the same atmosphere, everyone is happy, it’s a celebration of sport”, said Ruslan Bichurin, silver medallist of the European Championships.

Up to 72 kg

1. Narek Oganyan (Russia)

2. Meirzhan Shermakhanbet (Kazakhstan)

3. Jamol Jumabaev (Uzbekistan) and Mikita Murashka (Belarus)

Up to 77 kg

1. Sergey Stepanov (Russia)

2. Ramazan Arapkhanov (Abkhazia)

3. Tulkin Tuyev (Uzbekistan)

Up to 82 kg

1. Stanislau Shafarenka (Belarus)

2. Rafael Yunusov (Russia)

3. Tunjay Vazirzade (Azerbaijan)

“The hard-obtained victory. I lost with a big gap in the first bout, and, as luck would have it, I reached the Finals with the same opponent. I needed to take revenge so I prepared mentally. I had nothing to lose, so I fought until the very last second. This victory is a step towards greater results in the future. I liked the organisation of the competitions, everything was at the top level: accommodation, meals, cultural programme”, said Stanislau Shafarenka, two-time gold medallist of Belarus.

Up to 87 kg

1. Vaag Margarian (Russia)

2. Ihar Yarashevich (Belarus)

3. Mahammad Ahmadiyev (Azerbaijan)

Up to 97 kg

1. Arif Niftullayev (Azerbaijan)

2. Uladzislau Pustashylau (Belarus)

3. Nikolay Khomenko (Russia)

Up to 130 kg

1. Nokhcho Labazanov (Russia)

2. Dzmitry Zarubski (Belarus)

3. Sarkhan Mammadov (Azerbaijan) and Islam Umayev (Kazakhstan)

The Russian team won a total of 29 medals in freestyle, women’s, and Greco-Roman wrestling at the BRICS Games in Kazan: 23 gold, 3 silver, and 3 bronze. Belarus got 3 golds, 6 silvers, and 10 bronzes; Azerbaijan 3-5-7; and Kazakhstan 1-4-3. Athletes from Uzbekistan (7 silver, 7 bronze), China (3 silver, 2 bronze), South Ossetia (1 silver, 3 bronze), Abkhazia (1 silver, 2 bronze), and Brazil (1 bronze) took the prize-winning places as well.

A final in the Phygital Football, lots of boxing, wrestling and breaking - all on the penultimate day of the BRICS Games.

PHYGITAL FOOTBALL

The "Basket Hall" will host the decisive matches of the BRICS Games football tandem competition on Saturday. In the semifinals, the national team of Kazakhstan will play Venezuela, and the national team of Brazil will face the national team of Russia.

The semifinals will start at 12:00. At 17:00 the spectators will see the match for the 3rd place, and at 18:30 the final will begin, which will determine the first winner of the BRICS Games tournament in phygital football.

We would like to remind you that the tournament participants include four Russian FIFA champions (EA FC), Daniil Abeldyaev ("Abel") and Robert Fakhretdinov ("Ufenok77") from Virtus Pro, as well as Anton Klenoff ("Klenoff") and Stepan Mikhovich ("Funki") from AMKAL ESPORTS.

BOXING

On Saturday, the BRICS Games in Kazan will determine the winners of 25 sets of boxing medals. The tournament will end with final bouts in the men's up to 46-48, 51, 54, 57, 60, 63.5, 67, 71, 75, 80, 86, 92 and over 92 kg weight categories and the women's up to 45-48, 50, 52, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 70, 75, 81 and over 81 kg weight categories.

In the bout for gold in the weight up to 48 kg will meet the European champion among youth Russian Volodya Mnatsakanyan and the participant of the world championship Shodierjon Melikuziev from Uzbekistan, in the weight up to 63.5 kg bronze medalist of the European Youth Championship Belarusian Vladimir Volchok will go up against the champion of the Youth Olympic Games Ilya Popov. In the women's 57 kg category, world championship silver medalist and Olympic Games participant from Russia Lyudmila Vorontsova and Indian champion Sakshi will compete for the gold medal. The audience will also see decisive fights with the participation of the strongest boxers from Azerbaijan, China, Venezuela and other countries.

Final fights for women in SC "Center of boxing and table tennis" will start at 12:00, for men - at 16:00.

BELT WRESTLING

On June 22, the Ak Bars Wrestling Palace will host belt wrestling competitions as part of the BRICS Games in Kazan. Men will determine the winners in weight categories up to 57, 62, 68, 75, 82, 90, 100 and over 100 kg in freestyle and classical style, women - in 52, 58, 66, 76 and over 76 kg. A total of 21 sets of awards will be played.

The strongest wrestlers from Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, India, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries will take part in the competition.

Preliminary fights will start at 9:00, final fights - at 17:00.

BREAKING

Breaking competitions will start on Saturday in Moscow, at the Dynamo Sports Academy, where athletes from 27 countries will compete for 3 sets of medals - in 1x1 (men/women) and 4x4 team competitions.

The Russian national team will be represented in the Olympic discipline by 8 dancers: Ruslan Gromov, Nazip Minikaev, Ivan Prok, Ruslan Faizrakhmanov, Alexander Ganachyan, Sergey Chernyshev, Tatiana Russkikh and Veronika Chirtzova. Their rivals will be dancers from all over the world - from Argentina and Chile to China, India and Malaysia. In total, athletes from 27 countries, including Russia, will compete in the tournament.

The qualifying stage, ⅛, ¼ and ½ finals in singles and team competitions will be held in one day, which starts at 14:00.

CANOEING AND KAYAKING

On the last day of the BRICS Games canoeing and kayaking competitions, participants will compete for 15 sets of medals.

Most of the day's competition program will be taken up by team disciplines: 200 and 1000 meters in canoe and kayak among pairs of men and women separately, 500 meters for fours, as well as 200 meters for mixed pairs. The final heats at the Rowing Sports Center will start at 10:00. Of particular interest are the single races at a distance of 5000 meters - they will start at 16:00.

RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS

On Saturday, the rhythmic gymnastics competitions will feature individual finals in group exercises (5 hoops and 5 pairs of clubs) and individual program (hoop, ball, clubs, ribbon, no apparatus).

The audience will see the performances of the strongest Russian gymnasts: Lala Kramarenko, who became the champion of the BRICS Games in the individual all-around, Maria Borisova, Anna Popova, Diana Chugunikhina, as well as the leaders of the Belarusian team Anastasia Salos and Alina Rechkina.

The competitions will be held at the FST "Gymnastics Center" and will start at 10:00 with the junior women's tournament.

FENCING

Fencing competitions are coming to an end at the BRICS Games. On June 22, three sets of awards will be drawn - in rapiers and sabers for men and epee for women. The first matches at the St. Petersburg Volleyball Center will start at 9:00. Final matches in team competitions are scheduled from 16:00.

Among the participants of the tournament are the strongest athletes from Russia: foil fencers Anton and Kirill Borodachev, Timur Safin and Vladislav Zhuravlev, epee fencers Milen Bavuge Habimana, Yana Bekmurzova, Tatiana Gudkova and Aizanat Murzanaeva.

JUDO

Seven sets of judo awards will be played at the BRICS Games. The winners and medalists will be determined in men's 81, 90, 100 and 100+ kilogram weight categories, and women's 48, 52 and 57 kilogram weight categories. The spectators are waiting for bouts with participation of Mansur Lorsanov, the gold medalist of the "Grand Helmet" (90 kg), the winner of the Youth World Championship Niyaz Bilyalov (100 kg), the winner of the National Cup Alexander Shalimov (over 100 kg) and other talented judokas who have shown themselves both on the domestic and international arenas.

Preliminary sparring among men over 100 kg will start at 10:00 on the tatami in the Tatneft Arena. The final matches will start at 16:00.

Men’s Semi-Finals were held on the third day of the BRICS Games boxing competitions in Kazan. The main star of the tournament, Olympic champion and two-time world champion Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan, defended his title by defeating David Surov, Russian national team member, by unanimous decision. In another Russian-Uzbek confrontation, Dilshod Abdumurodov defeated Arshak Tovmasyan. In total, 10 athletes from the Uzbek men’s national team made it to the Finals. Russia will be represented in 11 weight categories in the bouts for gold in the men’s tournament. Athletes from Belarus, Venezuela, Abkhazia, and Azerbaijan will also compete in the final fights,

The final bouts will take place in Boxing and Table Tennis Centre on 22 June.

Ten sets of medals were awarded in the canoe sprint competitions today. Belarusian athletes: Uladzislau Kravets, Mikita Borykau, and Uladzislau Litvinau, reached all three prized places in the first Finals of the day in 500 metres kayaking. “I wish there were more competitions like the BRICS Games, so that only events of this level took place, and more of them. I dedicate this victory to my partner in the double and quadruple, who was disqualified for technical reasons, and I want to support him”, said Uladzislau Kravets.

Ivan Patapenka of Belarus also won the 500 metres canoeing. Maksim Karataev of Russia took silver and Kamronbek Akhtamov of Uzbekistan took bronze. Alena Nazdrova of Belarus was the fastest in the women’s 500 metres canoeing. “This being the main start of the season for us, we prepared extensively, we simply could not fail. That’s why we were aiming for top places from the get-go, and we’re doing great so far”, Alena remarked. “We truly missed the competitions, we longed for a sporting holiday, this atmosphere: the BRICS Games gave it all.”

Ekaterina Shlyapnikova (Russia) won silver at this distance, while Inna Nedelkina (Belarus) took bronze. Maryna Litvinchuk brought the fourth consecutive gold medal for Belarus in the 200 metres canoeing. Yulia Babashinskaya (Russia) and Alina Svita (Belarus) took silver.

The team heats were next. The 200 metres kayaking was dominated by Volha Khudzenka and Maryna Litvinchuk: this pair from Belarus earned their second team gold in two days. The same goes for Marina Gureeva and Ekaterina Shlyapnikova from Russia, who won their second gold today in the 200 metres canoeing. Andrey Laskorunskiy and Dmitriy Mamtsev of Russia were the fastest in the men’s kayaking, while Dmitriy Sharov and Mikhail Pavlov of the host team won gold medals in the men’s canoeing.

Finally, the competitions in the longest distance of the day: 1,000 metres, were won by Uladzislau Paleshko and Danila Verashchaka of Belarus in canoeing, and by Vitaly Ershov and Maksim Spesivtsev of Russia in kayaking.

The BRICS Games judo competitions started out from awarding seven sets of medals, four of which were among women. Athletes from China won gold in two weight categories, one gold went to Brazil, and Darya Kantsavaya (Belarus) was the strongest in 78 kg. “I didn’t get everything right, but I’m happy with the result. I’ll continue to train harder and get better. The girls at the competitions are really cool, the challenges are great. I think we’ll meet again in time. And I’d like to dedicate this victory to my mum and coaches”, said Darya after the award ceremony.

Women. 63 kg

1. Jun Li (China)

2. Marjona Nurulloeva (Uzbekistan)

3. Ketelyn Araujo Nascimento (Brazil)

Women. 70 kg:

1. Kaillany Valentim Rodrigues Cardoso (Brazil)

2. Daria Khramoikina (Russia)

3. Sudaba Aghayeva (Azerbaijan)

Women. 78 kg:

1. Darya Kantsavaya (Belarus)

2. Beatriz Furtado Petri De Freitas (Brazil)

3. Sofija Pajic (Republika Srpska)

Women. 78+ kg

1. Ayiman Jin Esinu Er (China)

2. Giovanna Melo Dos Santos (Brazil)

3. Darya Vladimirova (Russia)

The hosts of the tournament were prevailing on the first day of the men’s judo competition. Gamzat Zairbekov and Ivan Chernykh won two golds in the 60 kg and 66 kg categories, respectively. Ahmadzod Masudi (Tajikistan) dominated the 73 kg category, adding a victory to his team’s haul.

Men. 60 kg:

1. Gamzat Zairbekov (Russia)

2. Artsiom Kolasau (Belarus)

3. Huseyn Allahyarov (Azerbaijan)

Men. 66 kg:

1. Ivan Chernykh (Russia)

2. Abdurakhim Nutfulloev (Uzbekistan)

3. Rashad Yelkiyev (Azerbaijan)

Men. 73 kg:

1. Ahmadzod Masudi (Tajikistan)

2. Nariman Mirzayev (Azerbaijan)

3. Vinicius Ardina (Brazil)

Russian athletes won 10 gold medals today at the BRICS Games koresh competitions. Wrestlers from Uzbekistan won 2 silver and 6 bronze medals, the Kyrgyz team won 2 silver and 3 bronze medals, Azerbaijan got 2 silver and 2 bronze medals, Iran took 2 silver medals, Tajikistan won 1 silver and 6 bronze medals, and Kazakhstan got 1 silver medal. Athletes from Armenia, Belarus, and Mongolia have 1 bronze medal each.

Up to 60 kg

1. Aleksey Abramov (Russia)

2. Ariz Huseynov (Azerbaijan)

3. Nodirbek Abdumalikov (Uzbekistan) and Narek Safaryan (Armenia)

“I’m very happy to win the gold medal. I express gratitude to my coach, my team, and all those who helped me during the preparations. It was a long road and I’m delighted with the result achieved. The competitors were worthy: they were prepared as well and managed to put up a decent fight”, said Aleksey Abramov, a multiple Russian koresh champion.

Up to 65 kg

1. Artur Khakimov (Russia)

2. Doniyor Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan)

3. Drlen Estebesov (Kyrgyzstan) and Odinamahmad Ziyoev (Tajikistan)

Up to 70 kg

1. Islam Falyakhov (Russia)

2. Azizjon Azimjonov (Uzbekistan)

3. Muhammadsalmon Qurbonov (Tajikistan) and Jasur Mehtiyev (Azerbaijan)

Up to 75 kg

1. Dinar Karimullin (Russia)

2. Khabibullo Tynchtyk Uulu (Kyrgyzstan)

3. Rajabzoda Khudoyor (Tajikistan) and Nusratbek Sultonboev (Uzbekistan)

Up to 80 kg

1. Artur Zulkarnaev (Russia)

2. Haciyev Mehdi (Azerbaijan)

3. Erbol Turapbaev (Kyrgyzstan) and Khatanbold Khurelbaatar (Mongolia)

Up to 85 kg

1. Ranis Galimullin (Russia)

2. Adilet Zhahgbyrshy (Kazakhstan)

3. Anvar Muratbek Uulu (Kyrgyzstan) and Ilkhomjon Mashrabov (Uzbekistan)

“I am speechless! It’s a great honour for me to compete at this level and to hear the Russian national anthem. I’ve dreamed of being a part of something like this since I was a kid. I’m proud to have won gold; I proved that I can represent my country with honour”, said Ranis Galimullin, Russian champion.

Up to 90 kg

1. Azat Gabdrashitov (Russia)

2. Uounes Pahlavanzadeh (Iran)

3. Ivan Dubina (Belarus) and Sarif Abdullah (Azerbaijan)

Up to 100 kg

1. Ruslan Rafikov (Russia)

2. Baiaman Myktybekov (Kyrgyzstan)

3. Dilshod Qurbonov (Tajikistan) and Zaylobiddin Artikov (Uzbekistan)

Up to 130 kg

1. Radik Salakhov (Russia)

2. Azimjon Homidov (Tajikistan)

3. Firdavs Faizulloev (Tajikistan) and Ilyosbek Mirzakhmatov (Uzbekistan)

130+ kg

1. Ranis Gilyazetdinov (Russia)

2. Azimi Shadman (Iran)

3. Abdusalom Salomov (Tajikistan) and Khislat Pirmatov (Uzbekistan)

The BRICS Games swimming competitions have come to an end. Athletes from 17 countries competed for 37 sets of medals during these three days. Today’s swims were successful for the hosts of the tournament: eight gold, six silver, and six bronze medals.

400 m Individual Medley. Men

1. Yaroslav Loze (Russia)

2. Stephan Alexander De Freitas Steverink (Brazil)

3. Yaroslav Sokolovskiy (Russia)

800 m Freestyle. Women

1. Ksenia Misharina (Russia)

2. Arina Pantina (Russia)

3. Alesia Akinchyts (Belarus)

100 m Butterfly. Women

1. Anastasiya Kuliashova (Belarus)

2. Beatriz Bezerra (Brazil)

3. Vlada Eggi (Russia)

50 m Butterfly. Men

1. Grigori Pekarski (Belarus)

2. Arseni Barzhakou (Belarus)

3. Abeku Gyekye Jackson (Ghana)

200 m Backstroke. Women

1. Daria Zarubenkova (Russia)

2. Anastasiya Shkurdai (Belarus)

3. Milana Stepanova (Russia)

100 m Backstroke. Men

1. Miron Lifintsev (Russia)

2. Ivan Tarasov (Russia)

3. Stanislau Markouski (Belarus)

50 m Breaststroke. Women

1. Alina Zmushka (Belarus)

2. Ralina Gilyazova (Russia)

3. Anna Piatrutskaya (Belarus)

200 m Breaststroke. Men

1. Ilya Shymanovich (Belarus)

2. Mikhail Bykov (Russia)

3. Roman Yachmenev (Russia)

“I’m more or less happy with the results, although a bit disappointed because we’re working very hard right now and it’s impossible to pause and assess the state we’re in, so we can then adjust the preparations. The competition at the Games is quite alright; young talents, including those from Russia, swim really well. I’m amazed with the level of organisation. And it’s so satisfying to hear the anthem of Belarus again at the international level”, Ilya Shymanovich noted.

100 m Freestyle. Women

1. Kira Manokhina (Russia)

2. Elizaveta Prokhorova (Russia)

3. Lorrane Cristina Versiani Ferreira (Brazil)

200 m Freestyle. Men

1. Nikolay Kolesnikov (Russia)

2. Bruno Santos Dutra (Brazil)

3. Andrey Cherepkov (Russia)

200 m Individual Medley. Women

1. Daria Rogozhinova (Russia)

2. Nathalia Siqueira Almeida (Brazil)

3. Viktoriya Mashkina (Russia)

4x100 m Medley Relay. Men

1. Russia

2. Belarus

3. Brazil

4x100 m Medley Relay. Women

1. Belarus

2. Russia

3. Brazil

Following the results of the three competition days, the most medals were won by Miron Lifintsev of Russia and Alina Zmushka and Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus. All of them won three golds each. Sofya Dyakova of Russia won two golds and Daria Rogozhinova accumulated a full set of medals. In total, the Russian team won 20 gold, 19 silver, and 16 bronze medals at the BRICS Games swimming competitions, while Belarus has 13-4-6 and Brazil has 2-12-9.

Three sets of medals were awarded at Saint Petersburg Volleyball Centre during the fencing competitions: team events in men’s épée and women’s sabre and foil.

In the men’s final match, Artyom Sarkisian, head of the Russian team, won the gold medal by defeating Mark Semanenka of Belarus with a 12:2 score in the final ninth three-minutes. The final score for the hosts went from 22:24 to 34:26. Georgiy Bruev, Pavel Buzinov, Aleksei Udovichenko, and Artyom Sarkisian became the champions of the Games. The bronze medal went to the Indian team.

The foil champions of the women’s event were Vladislava Penyshkina, Marta Martyanova, Anna Solovyeva, and Polina Volobueva of the Russian national team, who beat Belarus 44:28 in the Finals. The third place went to the Indian athletes again.

“Thanks everyone for the congratulations; we and the athletes from Belarus have been training together for two years, so our Finals were very friendly and amicable. Some contest will persist even if you’re fencing with your best friend: it’s a fair share of competition. We were determined to win, and now we’ve finished the season with a good mood: the BRICS Games were our last fights for the season”, Marta Martyanova, Olympic champion, shared her feelings after winning at the BRICS Games.

The sabre fencers’ final confrontations were the last for the day. The Russian team won the bout against Uzbekistan with a 45:26 score in the Finals, taking the third gold medal of the fencing competition day. Sofya Velikaya, Olga Nikitina, Yana Egoryan, and Veronika Bulukova competed for the team

“As the BRICS Games Ambassador, I’d like to thank everyone for the wonderful organisation, the hall was prepared perfectly. Thank you all, thank you to Kazan for the warm welcome. Fans from different cities came to support us, we appreciate and treasure it very much”, Sofya Velikaya expressed her gratitude.

The group stage of the BRICS Games phygital football competitions came to an end at Basket Hall on Friday, with the ¼ final matches being played the same day.

In the tournament Quarter-Finals, players from Kazakhstan defeated Belarus 12:8, Brazil beat Cuba 8:6 following their success in the phygital stage, while the Russian national team confidently beat Abkhazia 9:3, maintaining the 6-goal lead well after the digital stage.

“We’d like to give it to the Abkhazian team: they did not concede to us on the court. Tomorrow we’ll face the Brazilians: they’re always sharp, so we can’t slack off. A lot of people are counting on us: we are the best team in the world in terms of the game and the team balance, we have the best of the best to play in the digital stage. It’s always a pleasure to come back to Kazan, it’s so nice here. The organisation is top-notch, especially regarding entourage, refereeing, technical side, meals, accommodation. Everyone is rooting for us, their support and reception is super cordial, it’s a real pleasure to play”, Robert “Ufenok77” Fakhretdinov, a player of the Russian national team, commented after reaching the Semi-Finals.

Venezuela nearly lost their entire lead after playing the game on consoles, but still managed to beat Uzbekistan with a score of 8:6.

“It feels super great to participate in such a tournament. Defending the flag of my country is a huge honour for me. We broke the viewing record at the BRICS Games yesterday: 101,000 people tuned in for our match; we’re like a media team in Uzbekistan, that’s why we have so much support and encouragement. The atmosphere is stunning, the tournament is going very well, we love everything”, Uzbekistan player Radion Yangirov shared his emotions.

The tournament’s deciding matches will take place on Saturday, 22 June. The ½ Finals will begin at 12:00, with the Finals and bronze medal match starting at 17:00.

The first winners of the BRICS Games rhythmic gymnastics competitions were determined on Friday. The Russian team took first place in the junior women’s all-around group routine, scoring 66.550 points. The second place went to the team from the International Association of Rhythmic Gymnastics Clubs “Sky Grace” (63.900), with Belarus rounding off the top three (60.450).

The gold medals in the senior all-around competitions were won by the “Sky Grace” team, which included Janina Sirotinina, Victoriya Kirnus, Sofya Ivashina, Alla Koryagina, Anna Trineeva, and Zlata Devyatyarova. The team received 68.450 points for their performance. Second place went to Russia (63.300) and third place to Uzbekistan (59.500).

Russia’s Kristina Voytenko (131.250) from “Sky Grace” won in the Junior Individual All-Around Finals. Arina Kovshova of Russia took silver (129.600) and Nicole Liauta of Belarus won bronze (119.400).

Lala Kramarenko of Russia won gold in the Senior Individual All-Around with a score of 143.750 points by the sum of four exercises. Russia’s Mariya Borisova (142.600), representing “Sky Grace”, took second place, while Anastasiia Salos of Belarus took bronze (133.450).

“Our athletes were and are the strongest in the world. This will be shown and proved. Our programmes are very exciting and artistic. The level of competition was very serious, especially between the teams of Belarus, “Sky Grace”, and Russia. Everyone gave a very good fight”, said Irina Viner, President of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation.

The winners in the rhythmic gymnastics all-around group and individual routines will be determined on Saturday.

The final set of medals was awarded in chess on Friday. The Russian chess players (Vladislav Artemiev, Andrey Esipenko, Kateryna Lagno, Valentina Gunina) won the Blitz mixed doubles event with 40.5 points. The silver medal went to the Chinese team (Bai Jinshi, Xu Xiangyu, Guo Qi, Song Yuxin), who scored 35.5 points. Bronze went to Uzbekistan with a final score of 32.5 points (Abdimalik Abdisalimov, Saidakbar Saydaliev, Umida Omonova, Marjona Malikova).

“Despite everything, the opponents were quite strong, it was a real challenge. Some games with the Chinese and the Indians were very difficult. These Games were not a piece of cake. The guys from Belarus and Uzbekistan are very skilful, especially Maksim Tsaruk: I think he has a bright future. The BRICS Games are pretty significant for me; a lot of preparatory measures were taken in the city, these competitions are very popular and a milestone event after all, they unite different countries. The medals are very important for me”, said Vladislav Artemiev, Russian grandmaster who won three gold and one silver medals at the BRICS Games in Kazan.

On 23 June Kazan will make an unusual farewell to the participants of the BRICS Games, who have been delighting sports fans with their brilliant performances for several weeks. Athletes, coaches and members of delegations from different countries will visit the ancient bank holidays Sabantui, where they will be able to get acquainted with the culture and customs of Tatarstan.

The main location of Sabantuy will be the holiday in Mirny, where a concert "Colours of Sabantuy" will be held with the participation of People's Artist of Tatarstan Elmira Kalimullina, the State Chamber Choir of the Republic, artists of Kamalov and Kariyev theatres. The production will be directed by Aidar Zabbarov, scripted by Ruzal Mukhametshin, choreographed by Chulpan Zakirova and composed by Almaz Askhadullin. Participants of the BRICS Sports Games will gather at this venue. Flags of all the countries that performed at the Games will be brought out in their honour.

But the BRICS Games do not end here, they move from Kazan to Moscow. On 23 June, the finals in the "breaking" and "breaking-team" disciplines will be held). Athletes from more than 20 countries from around the world, including Russia, China, Brazil, Argentina, Germany and many others, are taking part in these tournaments.

The opening ceremony will start at 19:00 and the final performances will start at 19:15.

The BRICS Games rhythmic gymnastics competitions have concluded on Saturday. Fourteen sets of medals were awarded on the final day. The Russian and Belarusian teams won one gold medal each in senior group routines. In individual routines, Russian athletes: Anna Popova (ball, without apparatus), Lala Kramarenko (ribbon), Diana Chugunikhina (clubs), and Mariya Borisova (hoop), representing the “Sky Grace” team, became the champions.

“The atmosphere was incredible, such unbelievable support. This is the coolest thing that can happen to you in life. I probably won’t experience anything like this again. I’m happy with my result, as I was preparing for just a week, I was seriously ill and missed two starts. But Irina Viner [the President of “Sky Grace”] is well pleased. Then I’m also well pleased”, Anna Popova remarked.

“I wish the Games would continue further, I’m so sad that this holiday is ending. I’m not going to lie: it would’ve been cooler if there were more countries. Some of them withdrew from the competitions just a few days beforehand for their own reasons. It’s a pity; I wish there had been more athletes. But I’d like to say that it’s been a while since such tense events have taken place; the outcome was unclear up to the very end. We were kept in suspense during the junior and senior routines until the last second. It’s so refreshing and fascinating”, said Yana Batyrshina, five-time world rhythmic gymnastics champion.

Following the results of the rhythmic gymnastics competitions among juniors and seniors, the Russian national team won 15 gold and 2 silver medals. “Sky Grace” took 3 golds, 5 silvers, and 3 bronzes. Gymnasts from Belarus won 2 gold, 10 silver, and 6 bronze medals.

The men’s and women’s boxing Finals of the BRICS Games were held at Boxing and Table Tennis Centre.

The champions of the men’s event were Russians fighters: Vladimir Mnacakanyan (up to 48 kg), Bair Batlaev (up to 51 kg), Maksim Kuznecov (up to 54 kg), Andrey Peglivanyan (up to 57 kg), Ilya Popov (up to 63.5 kg), Sergey Sergeev (up to 75 kg), Beshto Shavlaev (up to 80 kg), and Vadim Scheblykin (up to 86 kg); as well as athletes from Uzbekistan: Shavkatjon Boltaev (up to 67 kg), Khavasbek Asadullaev (up to 71 kg), Madiyar Saydrakhimov (up to 92 kg), and Bakhodir Jalolov (92+ kg); and German Ardzhenia (up to 60 kg) from the Republic of Abkhazia.

“I’m pleased as punch to be a part of the BRICS Games; to perform under the flag of the Republic of Abkhazia; and to take gold. I made history and I’m very proud of myself. The final bout was hard, I was running out of energy: both physically and morally, but I managed to power through”, German Ardzhenia shared.

“These are some large-scale competitions, everything’s top-notch. We need to hold such events more often. As for the boxing tournament, there are a lot of capable athletes. I’m happy with my bout in the Finals”, Bair Batlaev said.

The Russian athletes: Anna Aedma (up to 52 kg), Lyudmila Voroncova (up to 57 kg), Nadezhda Golubeva (up to 60 kg), Alina Pushkar (up to 63 kg), Azalia Amineva (up to 66 kg), Elena Gapeshina (up to 75 kg), Saltanat Medenova (up to 81 kg), and Ksenia Olifirenko (81+ kg) became the champions among women, along with Minakshi (up to 48 kg) and Anamika (up to 50 kg) from India, Nigina Uktamova (up to 54 kg) from Uzbekistan, and Li Shu (up to 70 kg) from China.

Following the results of the boxing tournament, athletes from Russia won 24 medals (15 gold, 4 silver, 5 bronze), athletes from Uzbekistan took 19 (5-6-8), athletes from India got 9 (2-3-4), and athletes from China won 7 (1-4-2).

The BRICS Games canoe sprint competitions have come to an end. Today saw the final 200- and 500-metre team heats, followed by the longest individual 5,000-metre heat.

The Belarusian team: Mikita Borykau, Uladzislau Kravets, Uladzislau Litvinau, and Dzmitry Natynchyk, took the first place in the quadruple kayaking. The same distance in canoeing was dominated by the Russians: Dmitriy Sharov, Mikhail Pavlov, Pavel Skryabin, and Aleksandr Bots. “Sure, the wind is a bit of a hindrance, but the scale and scope of the competitions is impressive, the international atmosphere here is noticeable. Kazan itself has the capacity to hold games of such standards, or even higher, depending on the number and level of participants. And now there is incredibly high competition in canoeing, guys from Belarus and Uzbekistan give excellent performances, the fact that there are so many world champions and Olympic medallists here speaks volumes”, the champions said.

Nadzeya Kushner, Marharyta Tkachova, Volha Khudzenka, and Maryna Litvinchuk from Belarus took first place in the women’s 500-metres canoeing. “The last time I was in Kazan was at the 2013 Universiade. I won four golds then, so now I wanted to show the same result, or maybe even surpass it. That being said, we usually aim not for gold, but for a good performance. So that we do it well and it results in a high score”, said Maryna Litvinchuk, three-time gold medallist of the current BRICS Games. “What’s important is us showing good seconds, which we can later compare to the level of the World and European Championships. I dedicate this medal to the Republic of Belarus and all our fans, all canoeing fans, and all sports lovers.”

Russian pair Anastasia Panchenko and Ivan Epishin won the 200-metres mixed kayaking. “We saw that a lot of crews from Belarus applied, they are all strong. They’re the elite of international rowing in general, we’re happy that they came so we can race with them. Obviously, we expected to win, but we understood that it’d be a hard fight until the very last metre”, said the winners. The same distance in canoeing was won by another Russian pair: Sergey Svinaryov and Ekaterina Shlyapnikova.

All the gold medals in 5,000-metres individual heats were won by athletes from Belarus. Uladzislau Kravets was the fastest in the men’s kayaking, while Ivan Patapenka was the first in canoeing. The women’s heats were dominated by Maryna Litvinchuk in kayaking and Katsiaryna Semiantsova in canoeing.

Following today’s victories, the Belarusian national team took the first place in the unofficial medal count: they have 16 gold, 14 silver, and 19 bronze medals. Uladzislau Kravets won five gold and one silver. Russia is in second place with 12-15-8, and Uzbekistan is third with one gold and two bronze medals.

The spectators saw the BRICS Games judo Finals, where seven more champions were determined.

Laziza Haydarova of Uzbekistan was the strongest in the women’s 48 kg category, defeating Shuaixia Han of China in the Finals. Glafira Borisova of Russia won gold in 52 kg, while Gulkhayo Juraeva of Uzbekistan took silver. Shirlen Thais Do Nascimento from Brazil won the gold medal in 57 kg. She beat Irina Zueva of Russia in the Finals.

Abas Azizov of Russia dominated the men’s 81 kg category: he beat Gabriel Falcao Lira of Brazil in the Finals. “It was hard, but all that matters is that I won. It was a fundamentally important start for me, which I was aiming to win, and everything worked out as planned. I’m happy with the victory, but not so much with the bout. The Games themselves are very cool, the organisation is like at the Olympics”, Abas Azizov commented.

Two athletes from Belarus met in the 90 kg category: Aliaksandr Sidoryk was stronger than his compatriot, Yahor Varapayeu. “The level of competitors was good. Everyone came to win and tried to give their best performances. I dedicate this victory to my wife”, Aliaksandr Sidoryk said after the Finals. “It’s not my first time in Kazan, I like this city, it’s one of the best in Russia. And I have only great things to say about the organisation, everything is amazing.”

Russia’s Niyaz Bilalov won the gold medal in the men’s 100 kg category, while Yijie Shen (China) took silver. Whereas the 100+ kg Finals were dominated by Lucas Antonio Martins Lima of Brazil, who defeated Aleksandr Shalimov of Russia. “It’s not every day that I can show off my strength and abilities and become a champion at such competitions. I’m at a loss for words to express all my feelings right now, this is the most important moment of my life. Each fight was difficult in its own way. Judo is like chess, where you act, make mistakes, and you have to correct them using your skills and stamina. I fought very well and I’m very happy about it”, the Brazilian remarked.

In the end, the Russians won the most medals in judo: five gold, three silver, and one bronze. Next comes Brazil with 3-3-4, as well as China and Belarus with two golds, two silvers, and one bronze each.

The final day of the fencing competitions took place at Saint Petersburg Volleyball Centre, where three sets of medals were awarded in foils and sabres for men and épée for women.

Russian national team (Yana Bekmurzova, Tatiana Gudkova, Ayzanat Murtazaeva, Milen Bavuge Khabimana) won gold in women’s épée tournament. The team defeated Belarus (Aliaksandra Tsurskaya, Agata Tsarkova, Katsiaryna Pasharneva, Valeryia Nikonova) with a 45:23 score in the Finals. The bronze medal went to the Indian team.

The teams of Russia (Anton and Kirill Borodachev, Timur Safin, Vladislav Zhuravlev) and Belarus (Uladzimir Butenka, Uladzislau Nikalayuk, Yahor Rabtsau, Heorhi Tkachenka) met in the men’s foil Finals as well. The Russians won again with a score of 45:11. The bronze medals went to the Indian team.

The competition day ended with the sabre Finals, where the Russian men’s team (Kirill Tyulyukov, Dmitrii Danilenko, Anatoliy Kostenko, Kamil Ibragimov) faced the Azerbaijani team (Murad Akbarov, Saleh Mammadov, Magsud Huseinli, Abbas Huseinov). The final score was 45:23 in favour of the Russians. Bronze medals went to the national team of Belarus.

The Russian national team became the champions of the BRICS Games phygital football, defeating Kazakhstan in the Finals. At the digital stage, the teams did not concede to each other, but the Russian team had a slight advantage, 6:5. The Russians won that phase thanks to Daniil Abeldyaev, Robert Fakhretdinov, Anton Klenov, and Stepan Mikhovich. However, there was still a game on a real court ahead, and things could change. Aleksandr Kriger, Artyom Elkin, Daniil Ilyin, and Aleksandr Kuzminykh joined the Russian team, and together they managed to get through this stage, achieving a victory. The total score of the match was 9:7.

“Very tense game; great respect to our brothers from the team of Kazakhstan. I even lost my voice from all the screaming. There was such heat in the fights of both stages, these were the Finals that we deserved. I’m proud of all the guys, they are amazing. The organisation is superb. Kazan is a very cool city with the most kind and helpful people”, said Daniil Abeldyaev, Russian national team player.

The Venezuelan team took the third place. They defeated the Brazilians with a score of 6:5 in the match for bronze.

“The preparations for the event are top-notch, just like at the World Championships, we’re incredibly impressed. We really enjoyed it here in Kazan. We visited the Kazan Kremlin, Bauman Street, very fascinating”, Gustavo Briceño, head coach of the Venezuelan national team, remarked after winning the match for the third place.

Belt wrestling competitions were held at Ak Bars Wrestling Palace. Gold medals in classic style were won by the Russians: Tamirlan Kerefov (up to 82 kg), Sandzhi Karuev (up to 90 kg), Gazi Khalilov (up to 100 kg), and Aynur Syrtaev (100+ kg), as well as athletes from Uzbekistan: Abdulakhad Nosirov (up to 57 kg), Diyorbek Polvonboev (up to 68 kg), and Samandar Anvarov (up to 75 kg), with Nurlan Sadyraly Uulu (up to 62 kg) from Kyrgyzstan.

Russian wrestlers: Rasul Aduev (up to 57 kg), Gabdyzhalil Suleymanov (up to 62 kg), Danila Zubrilov (up to 68 kg), and Emil Nezametdinov (up to 90 kg); Uzbeks: Murodjon Khamidov (up to 75 kg), Khusnidin Ruziev (up to 82 kg), and Nodirbek Akhatjonov (up to 100 kg); as well as Bakhtiiar Mirlan Uulu (100+ kg) from Kyrgyzstan won in free style.

“I have a lot of fighting experience, but taking part in such a grand event just takes my breath away. I’m glad and happy that I pleased my loved ones with this victory. Kazan remains a top venue for holding sporting events. I was second at the 2013 Summer Universiade, now I’m first. I levelled up”, said Gabdyzhalil Suleymanov.

“I’m very happy with the result, I fought a multiple champion in the Finals. I expected a lot from myself because I prepared long and hard. Everything was on my side today. The competition at the tournament was 10 out of 10. There were a lot of strong opponents, especially in the Finals. I liked the organisation overall”, Danila Zubrilov stated.

In women’s wrestling, the first places went to Russia’s Zhanna Islamgalieva (up to 58 kg), Alina Pukhova (up to 66 kg), Dina Gizatullina (up to 76 kg), and Zamirat Kusaeva (76+ kg), as well as to Uzbekistan’s Farangiz Abdunabieva (up to 52 kg).

Following the results of the belt wrestling tournament, Russia won 21 medals (12 gold, 5 silver, 4 bronze). Uzbekistan got 20 medals (7-9-4), the same as Kyrgyzstan (2-5-13).

The first day of the breaking competitions came to an end at Dynamo Sport Academy in Moscow.

The qualifying stage, as well as top-16, top-8, and top-4 matches took place in the 1x1 (individual events) and 4x4 (team events) disciplines.

“The level of athletes is very good. I would highlight Russia, Japan, South Korea, and Kazakhstan: these four countries have very good prospects now, they will be competing for the title and prizes. I think the BRICS Games live up to the level of good international competitions. We had a preparatory training camp at a nice, new sports base on the eve of the Games, with two training sessions a day; the food, the procedures: everything was excellent”, Ruslan Fayzrakhmanov, a B-boy Footrockets dancer from Russia, remarked.

The BRICS Games competitions will continue in Moscow, where the breaking and acrobatic rock'n'roll tournaments will be held on 23 and 24 June, respectively.

About 600 participants of the BRICS Games from about 40 countries, including athletes and members of delegations, attended the traditional Tatarstan holiday Sabantui, which was held in the settlement of Mirny.

Rustam Minnikhanov, Rais of the Republic of Tatarstan, Igor Levitin, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, Mansur Yavash, Mayor of Ankara, the capital of Turkey, and Ilsur Metshin, Mayor of Kazan, also attended the event. They congratulated the participants on the completion of the Games in Kazan.

Rustam Minnikhanov thanked the country's leadership for their trust to hold such a large-scale sporting event in Kazan.

"Our most favorite holiday Sabantui is held simultaneously with the conclusion of the BRICS Games. Holding the Games in Tatarstan shows the enormous trust of the Russian leadership. Unfortunately, the competition has come to an end. Thank you to all the participants!" - said Rustam Minnikhanov.

At Sabantui, guests were treated to a festive concert with the participation of famous artists of Tatarstan, a performance by a folk instrument orchestra, as well as a theatricalized prologue, thanks to which they were able to get better acquainted with the history of the holiday and the culture of the Republic. The venue also hosted national koresh wrestling competitions with the participation of Tatarstan's best batyrs, tug-of-war competitions, as well as folk games and various master classes.

"This was my fifth time in Russia, but the first time I attended Sabantui. It was interesting to get to know the culture of Tatarstan. Everything is very well organized and what Sabantui is like a Brazilian carnival. At the BRICS Games I made a lot of friends, both from Russia and from other countries. Brazil and Russia are the first letters in the BRICS acronym. I hope that these Games will unite our countries even stronger," said Renato, manager of the Brazilian soccer team.

In total, almost 3000 athletes from 84 countries competed at the BRICS Games, and including officials there were 4200 participants. Medals in 25 sports were awarded in Kazan, while champions in two more sports - breaking and acrobatic rock 'n' roll - will be determined in Moscow on June 23-25.

"The main thing is that all of us - both athletes and spectators - enjoyed ourselves. This was a new project, there have never been competitions of this rank within BRICS. We set the bar incredibly high. Many athletes compare the Games in terms of the level of preparation to the Olympics. There is a great future for this format. Our colleagues from Brazil said that it will be a bit difficult for them at the next Games, but we will help them," said Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Sports of the Republic of Tatarstan. "The meeting of the BRICS sports ministers was productive, documents were adopted on which we will work further. We, Russia and Tatarstan, always welcome our guests".

The first medals of the BRICS Games Breaking competitions were awarded at the Dynamo Sport Academy in Moscow. Athletes from 29 countries of Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Europe took part in the tournament.

Nazip Minikaev, b-boy Zip Rock from Kazan team “Action Man”, won the men’s event. Second place went to Jet leg, a participant from Italy, while another dancer from Russia, Grom, won bronze.

“The support is incredibly important, it’s been a while since we’ve had international battles. I’m so happy to be back and win like this. Breaking was not yet properly considered a sport when I started out, it was more like an art. But we have a sports component, and breaking belongs here. As for my style, it can be called “sports art”. There is a lot of sliding on the dance floor in my performances”, Zip Rock, the winner of the BRICS Games B-Boys discipline, commented.

In the women’s event, Toquinha, representing Brazil, won the gold medal after two days of competition. The silver and bronze medals went to the Russians athletes: Tata and Nika.

“I’m just beside myself with joy. I’m so insanely happy to be in Russia for the first time in my life and to win here. I’ll bring the BRICS Games gold medal to my home in Brazil! It’s for my parents, my family, my friends, and my country! I’m extremely delighted”, said Toquinha of Brazil, the winner of the B-Girls discipline.

In the 4x4 team competitions, the Russian team defeated Kazakhstan with a score of 6:2 in the “Big” Finals. Bronze medals went to Japan, which was stronger than Brazilian dancers in the “Small” Finals.

Four sets of medals will be awarded in acrobatic rock’n’roll at Dynamo Sport Academy on the final day of the BRICS Games on Monday, 24 June. The competitions will be held in the “M Class-Mixed” and “B Class-Mixed” (mixed duet) disciplines.







In “M Class-Mixed”, the Russian national team will be represented by Daniil Tanakbaev, Anna Zhurina, Maxim Chebotarev and Victoria Adamova. Ivan Rilyan, Elizaveta Klopyzhnikova, Maxim Mitrofanov and Julia Sheinina will perform in “B Class-Mixed”.

They will face duets from more than 20 countries, including the strongest pairs from China, India, Brazil, Argentina, Kazakhstan, and other states.

The Qualifying Rounds will start at 14:00, the Finals will begin at 19:00.

The final 387th set of medals of the BRICS Games was awarded at the Dynamo Sport Academy in Moscow today. Dancers from 23 countries competed in the Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll.

In the B class-mixed, the duo of Ivan Rilyan and Elizaveta Klopyzhnikova brought the Russian national team gold. Silver medals were won by athletes from Egypt (Alexander Boyko and Valeria Arafa), and dancers from Moldova (Alexey Denos and Alexandra Nikolaeva) got the bronze.

"First of all, it was a great opportunity for all of us, because the BRICS Games are very important for all countries. Sport means peace and love which unite us – that is what we should demonstrate to everyone. I am grateful to the Russian Federation and Federation of DanceSport for everything that happened. I am sure that the competitions have a very bright future and they will become brighter and more beautiful" Akshay Jagdish Unecha, a dancer from India, shared his feelings about the BRICS Games.

Maxim Chebotarev and Victoria Adamova, athletes from Russia, also won gold medals in the M class-mixed. The Hungarian national team (Alex Delhi and Luka Behari) won silver, and the team from Egypt (Kirill Rokhlin and Sofia Arafa) won bronze medals.

"Competitions in 25 sports have just ended in the Republic of Tatarstan, yesterday there was Breaking in Moscow, today the Games are finishing with Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll. It was a large expanded format of the BRICS Games. I want to personally thank Nadezhda Erastova, President of the All Russian Federation of DanceSport – Breaking and Acrobatic Rock'n'Roll in the programme of the Games was her merit.

I want, with my whole heart and soul, express gratitude to all the athletes who came to our country, our great Country, to demonstrate their best performance. We invite everyone to Moscow, and, of course, to the Republic of Tatarstan, to Kazan. Thank you!" Vladimir Leonov, the Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, addressed the participants.

The BRICS Games 2024 took place in Kazan and Moscow from 12 to 24 June. Russia hosted these competitions for the first time, and they became record-breaking in many respects.

- 82 Participating Countries. The BRICS Games were held in an open format, and all athletes had equal rights during admission to the competitions. Athletes from South and North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa gathered in Kazan and Moscow.

- 2,852 Athletes. Olympic and world champions, winners and runners-up of European, Asian, and South American championships and national championships performed in Kazan. The oldest participant of the Games was Mustafa Enis Yurdakok, a 65-year-old athlete from Turkey, who competed in equestrian sports. The youngest participant was 12-year-old Kseniya Savinova of the Russian rhythmic gymnastics team.

- 27 Sports. Around 20 sports, such as athletics, weightlifting, artistic and rhythmic gymnastics, artistic swimming, etc., were included in the BRICS Games programme for the first time. Phygital football and basketball tournaments were held as part of the Games as well.

- 387 Sets of Medals. Athletes from 38 countries won awards, while participants from 15 countries became the BRICS Games Champions. The largest number of medals went to the athletes of the Russian national team: 509, with 266 of them being gold. Belarus is in the second place (247 total, 55 gold), China is in the third (62–20).

- Maryna Litvinchuk of the Republic of Belarus won 5 gold medals in the BRICS Games canoe sprint. She became the most titled participant of the competitions. Artistic swimmers Aleksandr Maltsev and Maya Doroshko, along with swimmer Miron Lifintsev won 4 gold medals each.

- 41:57.80 is the result of Russian athlete Reikhan Kagramanova, who won the 10,000 metres race walk. This is the best result of the season in the world. Moreover, other national records in weightlifting, athletics, and swimming were set during the BRICS Games.

- 17 sports venues were used for the competitions and athletes’ training (16 in Kazan and one in Moscow). In total, over 108,000 spectators visited them, with full houses at most Finals.

- 1,920 volunteers from 18 regions of the Russian Federation helped organising and hosting the BRICS Games.

- 750 Media representatives from 18 countries covered the BRICS Games competitions.

- Over 22 million users viewed the broadcasts of the Games on the Vkontakte social network.

- 150 hours totalled the overall TV airtime of the BRICS Games competitions. 36 hours were broadcast on Match TV, and another 96 hours – on thematic channels.

The BRICS Games also included an extended meeting of the BRICS countries Ministers of Sport. It was attended by ministers and representatives of sports ministries from Russia, Brazil, India, Iran, China, UAE, Ethiopia, South Africa, Belarus, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Djibouti, Azerbaijan, DPRK, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, and Nicaragua. The countries discussed the development of sports in the BRICS community and touched upon the next Games to be hosted by Brazil.

Conclusion of the BRICS Sports Games that debuted in Russia from 12 to 24 June have been drawn at the press conference in Kazan

BRICS Games were held at the venues of Kazan and Moscow having gathered 5,640 participants from 82 countries. Competitions embraced 27 sports.

According to the Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan Vladimir Leonov, the Games organisers received a great deal of positive feedback from the athletes.

“Most of the athletes were comparing the level of services at the BRICS Games with the Olympics. They even said a number of services in Kazan were superior. Everybody appreciated the quality of the venues, food and beverage, TV picture, volunteers. All service agencies worked in full force, therefore everything worked out well and as smoothly as they could. We haven’t expected that the athletes will like it here in Kazan so much,” noted Vladimir Leonov.

Games in Kazan turned out to be record-breaking in a variety of aspects in the history of the tournaments conducted within the BRICS community.

“We hosted the alike event 11 years ago – it was the Summer Universiade. I dare say we’ve reiterated the effect of the Universiade. That project was neither much heard nor spoken about, but we’ve made up a structured, clear and promising product. It is expected that Brazil will play host to the next Games. So while seeing their delegation off, we had a short meeting. They said it would be challenging to do what Kazan had done. But we will help,” emphasised the Tatarstan Minister of Sport.

The Russian national team topped the overall medal standing of the Games, having won 266 gold medals, while a total of 38 national teams took the awards.

“It was technically challenging to bring all the leaders to Kazan, since Olympic Games are starting in a month. The teams have been preparing for the season as per the calendar that was four years ago. And those doing sport are aware that it’s impossible to add a new competition into the agenda of the Olympic cycle half a year-year in advance. We are grateful to everyone who has come. We could witness strong competition in a number of sports. The Games set good TV ratings despite the football Euro 2024 running on the same dates. Over 19 mln people watched broadcasts on Match TV channel, and over 22 mln – on the internet,” mentioned Vladimir Leonov.

“Let me say thanks a million to all our partners, friends, organisers at the federal as well as republican and municipal levels. Big team was working tirelessly. As the Rais (Head) of the Republic of Tatarstan said, we are waiting for new tasks,” added the Tatarstan Sport Minister.

Director General of the Directorate for Sports and Social projects in Kazan Maksim Denisov thanked all those engaged in organising and holding the BRICS Games.

“Yesterday the last participant left Kazan, that’s why we can draw up express conclusions, and then will analyse the outcomes. Inside the team we tend to think that we came off really well. Throughout the entire period of the project a total of 25 thousand badges were given out to the people who had an official access to the venues. Today, there is not much to say apart from the word of gratitude to absolutely everyone who was a part of the project,” said Maksim Denisov.