Today, September 19, a grand opening ceremony for the 2026/2027 National Universiade took place at the venue near the Sports Palace. The event reviewed the results of the previous season and launched the new one. The opening program was incredibly vibrant and dynamic. Teams from all participating universities took part in the traditional parade, with every participant greeted by thunderous applause.
The ceremony was attended by Natalia Petkevich, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus; Ekaterina Petrutskaya, Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of Belarus; Alexander Dorokhovich, First Deputy Minister of Sports of the Republic of Belarus; Andrei Strigelsky, Deputy Chairman of the Minsk City Executive Committee; and Alexander Bogdanovich, a Belarusian athlete, Olympic champion in canoe sprint, and Chairman of the Ice Hockey Federation of the Republic of Belarus.
Note: The National Universiade is held with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministry of Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Belarus, the Belarusian Association of Student Sport, and the Presidential Sports Club. The event aims to develop national student sports, encourage students at higher education institutions to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and improve the effectiveness of their physical education.
Based on the results of the 2025/2026 academic year National Universiade, BNTU took first place in the first group. BNTU Rector Sergei Kharitonchik took the podium to accept the well-deserved trophy and diploma.
"We have secured first place in the National Universiade's first group for the third time. This is a great honor for us, of course, and it highlights the strength of our team and the power of our university's sporting traditions. It is a celebration for the entire community; a real sporting battle took place, and we managed to achieve the best results. At the same time, we need to think about how to gather our strength once more and reach new milestones and victories in next year's Universiade." "We fully understand that all the universities are preparing and aiming for victory, but we have no intention of giving up. Our students and faculty have always had this mindset—to win and take top honors," noted Sergey Kharitonchik.
Yaroslav Potachits, Dean of the Sports and Technical Faculty, also shared his thoughts and feelings regarding the victory:
"This marks the third consecutive year that the Belarusian National Technical University has proudly carried the banner of student sports. We have once again proven that we excel not only in science, education, and technology but also in athletics."
Following the ceremony, the symbolic lighting of the flame took place, accompanied by a mass warm-up session prior to the first competitions.
"The atmosphere at the event is incredible. We took part in a kettlebell demonstration, showing what we are capable of. For us cadets of the Military-Technical Faculty, this isn't just about sports; it’s an opportunity to demonstrate the strength, endurance, and unity of our university," said Dmitry Kachura, a cadet from the Military-Technical Faculty.
The event program also featured a dragon boat race, with teams comprising heads and deputy heads of national government bodies participating.
Athletes from the Belarusian National Technical University also took part in the "On Your Marks, Youth!" national running event. The race followed a loop course along the Svisloch River embankment; starting and finishing at the Sports Palace, participants ran upstream along the embankment to a turnaround point near the monument marking the 100th anniversary of state control bodies in the Republic of Belarus, before returning along the same route.
The race served not only as a vibrant sporting event but also as an excellent test of strength ahead of the major student competition—the upcoming Universiade. We congratulate our athletes, coaches, and everyone involved on this well-deserved triumph! We wish all participants spectacular victories, fair competition, and new records!
