The International Russian-Chinese Winter Sports Festival was held on the Amur River between the cities of Blagoveshchensk (Russia) and Heihe (China). The event included ice hockey and ice rally competitions, winter swimming contests on the Zeya River, as well as a rich cultural programme. TV BRICS served as the festival’s international media partner.

The sporting event was officially opened with a performance by Olympic figure skating champion Alina Zagitova. Speaking with journalists, she wished the participants vivid impressions from this celebration of sport. The figure skater also conducted masterclasses for young athletes.

A distinguished guest at the event was the President of the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, Vladislav Tretiak, who took part in the ceremonial puck drop. Additionally, Pang Da, Deputy Chairman of the Heilongjiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, attended the opening ceremony. He expressed his gratitude to the Russian representatives who made a significant contribution to the festival’s organisation.

More than 200 participants took part in the competitions. The swimming contests awarded 28 sets of medals in breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle, with Russian swimmers claiming the majority of the prizes. Additionally, Russian ice hockey players secured victories in both the adult and youth categories, while the children’s teams from Russia and China played to a draw.

The second day of the festival was dedicated to car racing, featuring 60 competing teams. Athletes from China triumphed in the Amur ice rally. Zhang Xu claimed first place in the category for cars with an engine capacity exceeding 3 litres, while Li Xiaowen won in the category for cars with an engine capacity up to 3 litres. Li Cheng emerged victorious in the unrestricted engine capacity category.

Jiang Xiaoyang, Consul General of China in Khabarovsk, noted that the festival has a positive impact on Russian-Chinese relations.

“Sport is one of the strongest tools that brings the peoples of Russia and China closer together. The Amur Region has done a great deal in this direction. This is the sixth year we have held such a wonderful festival […]. Of course, it helps strengthen ties, mutual understanding, and friendship between our nations,” he said.

Spectators not only enjoyed the sporting competitions but also participated in masterclasses, a large-scale snowball game, and a sports car exhibition. Additionally, a giant international greeting card measuring 50 by 35 metres was created on the ice of the Amur River.

The International Russian-Chinese Winter Sports Festival has been held since 2017, when the first “Sodruzhestvo” (Commonwealth) ice hockey tournament took place.

Photo: Anna Gryzlova (TV BRICS)