More than 500 people – the heads and staff members of 34 diplomatic missions – came to Nakhabino to measure strength with each other in ski race, biathlon, table tennis, Russian billiards, futsal events and thus demonstrate their love of sports and commitment to healthy lifestyles.
Following the Russian hospitality traditions, the merry skomorokhi actors (buffoons) and korobeiniki (peddlers) met the arriving diplomats with songs, jokes and hotcakes. The performance of the Exemplary Military Orchestra of the Guard of Honor, which played military marches and popular melodies before start of the opening ceremony, created a festive atmosphere.
Welcoming the Diplomatic Games’ participants and guests, Acting Head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s GlavUpDK Pyotr Yefanov said that this year the Games “usher in” the jubilee events devoted to the 95th anniversary of the GlavUpDK establishment. Emphasizing the role of sports in the promotion of mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of different countries, Yefanov expressed the hope that the sports events for diplomats held by GlavUpDK will promote an objective and favorable impression of Russia.
Russia’s outstanding athlete, Olympic Champion and First Deputy Head of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs Svetlana Zhurova wished the Games’ participants the best performance, recreation and getting inspired from the uncompromising competition at the Nakhabino sports grounds.
Mikhail Sapunov, Head of the Krasnogorsk district of the Moscow region where the Moscow Country Club is located, thanked all the athletes and guests of the Winter Games and expressed the hope that they will again visit more than once this picturesque and hospitable land outside Moscow.
Multiple Olympic Champion Lyudmila Titova read out the traditional words of welcome from President of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexander Zhukov and introduced members of the panel of judges that included Russia’s legendary athletes Nikolai Zimyatov, Stanislav Petukhov, Galina Gorokhova and other celebrated champions.
Panama’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia Miguel Humberto Lecaro Barcenas pronounced the words of the Olympic oath on behalf of the competitions’ participants.
On that memorable day it looked like nature decided to “cheer for” the sportsmen, giving them the real good winter weather with sunshine and a light frost. All the skiing enthusiasts could try the Nakhabino ski track and compete for honorary prizes.
A representative of the Belarusian embassy won the 4-km men’s ski race, and women - members of the Latvian embassy staff excelled in a biathlon race, occupying nearly the whole winners’ podium.
The struggle intensity in the futsal tournament among 22 teams matched the world and European championships’ rivalry, so nobody was surprised that the teams of the Spanish and Latvian embassies were among the winners.
The Chinese embassy’s team was expectedly strong, and a representative of the embassy of Uzbekistan quite successfully performed in a billiards tournament.