Press releases

MINSK, 1 November (BelTA) – The Belarusian spochan team won 15 medals at the 10^th European Spochan Championship in Rome, Italy, BelTA learned from Chairman of the Belarusian Spochan Federation Andrei Kalistov.

Dmitry Vasilchuk from Belarus’ Vitebsk topped the individual standings. Seven silver medals were brought to Belarus by Maksim Rishko (Vitebsk), Vladimir Sholokhov (Brest), Maria Tatarinova (two medals), Milana Stegantseva, Sofia Dubchinskaya (all Vitebsk)

The Belarusian women’s team finished second in the team competitions, falling to Italy in the final.

Belarusian athletes also claimed seven bronze medals: Valentin Khrapovitsky, Anton Krasovsky, Dmitry Vasilchuk, Maria Tatarinova, Sofia Dubchinskaya (all Vitebsk), Daniel Grechanik from Brest (two medals).

The Belarusian office of the International Sports Chanbara Association was opened at the Vitebsk wushu school in 2013.

Taking part in the European Spochan Championship in Rome were 250 athletes from 15 countries. The Belarusian Spochan Federation was presented by athletes from Vitebsk, Vitebsk Oblast, Brest and Minsk.

Belarus will host the European Sports Chanbara Championship in 2019. In August 2018 the Belarusian Spochan Federation will organize the 3^rd international spochan festival Belarusian Summer. Taking part in the competitions will be a team from Japan led by First Vice President of the International Sports Chanbara Association Kenichi Hosokawa

Sports chanbara (spochan) is a modern type of Japanese martial arts, a safe method of sword fencing. In Japan spochan is the official sport, as in some countries. In Belarus, it is growing in popularity. This sport is most popular in Vitebsk Oblast, Grodno Oblast, Brest, Mogilev and Minsk.