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A futsal match between teams from the Penza and Brest regions was held to strengthen friendly ties between the regions.
The best players were awarded by Governor Oleg Melnichenko and Chairman of the Regional Executive Committee Pyotr Parkhomchik. The game ended in a draw — 1:1.
“We always root for our athletes, I mean both the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, when they perform on the international stage, we always wish them success,” emphasized Pyotr Parkhomchik, Chairman of the Brest Regional Executive Committee. “Sport is an integral part of our lives, and the excitement and spirit of competition help individuals grow, but today’s game was all about friendship winning!”
Oleg Melnichenko noted that both teams demonstrated true sportsmanship.
“The main point today wasn’t the victory, but the spirit of the sporting celebration and the competitive atmosphere, this meeting was brotherly and friendly,” the governor stated.
He reminded attendees that, the day before, sports veterans from Penza held a masterclass for young residents of Brest: Olympic diving champion Igor Lukashin, 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in athletics Aleksey Voyevodin, Honored Coach of Russia in hockey Oleg Butylin, and Minister of Physical Culture and Sports of the Penza Oblast and 1996 Olympic bronze medalist in rhythmic gymnastics Evgeniya Bochkaryova.
“I know the kids were thrilled, and everything went great. This moment is very important for us,” emphasized the head of the Penza Oblast. “We cooperate extensively in the economic sphere, but collaboration in education, culture, and sports is no less important — especially now, when there is an unhealthy global trend to turn everything into a battleground and sow discord.”
“2025 marks the year of our shared Great Victory in the most terrible and bloody war in human history — a war that our peoples faced shoulder to shoulder,” he continued. “Our great compatriot Andrey Mitrofanovich Kizhevatov, commander of the 9th border post of the 17th Brest border detachment, was the first to engage in battle with the Nazi occupiers.”
“Today, we have a unique form of integration, the Union State, created and developed by our two nations. I’m confident we have a great future,” Oleg Melnichenko concluded.