Second European Games in Belarus

Belarus' beach soccer team to face Portugal, Switzerland, Romania at Minsk European Games

MINSK, 4 April (BelTA) - The draw for the beach soccer tournament to be held as part of the 2nd European Games took place in Minsk on 4 April, BelTA has learned.

Belarus will face Portugal, Switzerland, and Romania in Group A.

Group B will feature Italy, Spain, Russia, and Ukraine.

The beach soccer tournament of the 2nd European Games will be held at the Olimpiysky Stadium, with the group stage games scheduled for 25-27 June. On 28 June two best teams from each group will play semifinal games. Medal games are slated for 29 June. Teams that are out of the semifinal stage will take part in the 5th-8th place repechage campaign.

Russia won the beach soccer tournament of the 1st European Games in Baku in 2015. Silver went to Italy. Portugal claimed bronze.

Aleksei Sychev, Chairman of the Belarusian Beach Soccer Federation, believes that the Belarusian team is capable of winning a medal at the 2nd European Games. He noted that Belarusian beach soccer has been recently making progress. The Belarusian national team has been successfully playing in the Euro Beach Soccer League. Last year, Belarus placed fifth in the tournament. Minsk hosted one of the stages of the tournament in August 2018. This stage was organized in the Belarusian capital to serve as a test event for the new venue ahead of the 2nd European Games

Belarus won the stage defeating all its rivals, including Italy which claimed the European title of the season. According to vice captain of the Belarusian team Ivan Miranovich, any of eight teams can win in Minsk, but Belarus has an advantage and this is its fans.

The 2nd European Games will take place in Minsk on 21-30 June 2019. Over 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete in 199 medal events in 15 sports. A total of 12 sport venues will be used during the games, the biggest of which are Dinamo Stadium, Minsk Arena, Chizhovka Arena, and Minsk Palace of Sports.

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