Second European Games in Belarus

Vienna, Budapest welcome Flame of Peace of Minsk European Games

Photo by minsk2019.by

MINSK, 10 May (BelTA) – Vienna and Budapest welcomed the Flame of Peace torch relay of the 2nd European Games, BelTA learned.

After visiting the highest point of Europe, Mont Blanc, and Slovenia's capital Ljubljana the torch relay arrived in Vienna accompanied by The One Chapter Belarus, a bikers club from Belarus, and was solemnly passed over to the well-known Belarusian and Austrian classical music performer Yulia Lebedenko.

The Flame of Peace welcome ceremony was attended by Ambassador of Belarus to Austria Alena Kupchyna, Philipp Trattner from the Federal Ministry of Civil Service and Sport of Austria, Sports Director the Austrian NOC, Chef de Mission of the Austrian European Games Team Christoph Sieber, head of the ceremonies and cultural programs of the Minsk European Games Organizing Committee (MEGOC) Sergei Khomich.

The torch relay also travelled through the streets of the Hungarian capital. Prominent Hungarian athletes carried the flame through the major landmarks of Budapest. Today the Flame of Peace relay will continue its way to Belarus through Slovakia.

The Flame of the 2nd European Games was lit at Ara Pacis Museum in Rome on 3 May. The torch will arrive in Belarus on 12 May. The relay will run through all parts of Belarus: Brest Oblast on 12-17 May, Grodno Oblast on 18-23 May, Vitebsk Oblast on 24-29 May, Mogilev Oblast on 30 May - 4 June, Gomel Oblast on 5-10 June, Minsk Oblast on 11-16 June.

Minsk will welcome the Flame of Peace in State Flag Square on 17 June. The torch will travel along Pobeditelei Avenue on 17 June and along Nezavisimosti Avenue on 18 June. On 19 June, torchbearers will visit Minsk landmarks, attend the greeting ceremony for athletes at the Athletes’ Village. The Flame of Peace torch relay will finish at Dinamo National Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremony of the 2nd European Games on 21 June.

Belarus has already chosen 450 people as torchbearers. Among them are the country’s best athletes, outstanding scholars, culture and art figures.

Minsk will host the 2nd European Games on 21-30 June. Over 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete for 199 medal sets in 15 sports.

Belarus was granted the right to host the 2nd European Games at the meeting of the General Assembly of the European Olympic Committees on 21 October 2016.

print version

make home page

add to bookmarks