Main Administration for Service to the Diplomatic Corps (GlavUpDK) under the MFA of Russia hosted Summer Diplomatic Games in its affiliate – the Zavidovo Recreation Complex (Shosha Village, Tver Region) for the 24th time. Love for sports and healthy lifestyle traditionally brought together teams from over 20 diplomatic missions, along with the Eurasian Economic Commission staff. Traditionally, Russian mass media – ITAR-TASS News Agency and MIR TV channel – also participated in the competition.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, sent a message of greetings to the participants. “In the nearly 25 years of its history, this wonderful sporting event has become a veritable symbol of professional solidarity and respectful communication between diplomats from all parts of the world, including informal communication. Year after year, the Games serve to build up and uphold camaraderie and trust in the Moscow diplomatic corps,” the message says.
The event was opened by Vyacheslav Fatin, Acting Head of GlavUpDK under the MFA of Russia who greeted the guests and the participants. He pointed out that the Summer Diplomatic Games always follow “the most important thing is not to win but to participate” principle and expressed hope that the GlavUpDK corporate mascot presented at the Games would bring luck to the contestants.
Svetlana Sergeevna Zhurova, First Deputy Chair of the Committee for International Affairs with the State Duma of the Russian Federation, and Galina Evgenievna Gorokhova, chief referee of the competition – three-time Olympic and nine-time world fencing champion, also participated in the event.
At the start, participants swore their commitment to the Olympic spirit. Diplomatic mission teams competed under their national flags in eight sports: individually in tennis, pool, fishing, trap shooting and cross, and as teams in futsal, volleyball and basketball.
Staff of Belarusian, Indian, Kyrgyz, Chinese, North Korean, South Ossetian embassies, along with representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission, MFA of Russia, MIR TV channel, GlavUpDK and its affiliates won prizes at the Diplomatic Games.
A sports and entertainment Cup of GlavUpDK relay race also took place, with GlavUpDK team winning it, Moscow Country Club branch team coming up second and the Cuban embassy team taking the third place.
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The sports event was complemented by a packed culture and entertainment program including the 5 Seas, 3 Oceans fest presented by the Food Map of Russia federal project.