The opening ceremony of the Republican Universiade 2023/2024 took place at the Belarusian State University of Physical Culture.

The Republican Universiade for students of higher education institutions is held on the initiative of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports and Tourism and the Republican Center for Physical Education and Sports of Pupils and Students.

The opening of the Universiade was attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, the Republican Center for Physical Education and Sports of Pupils and Students, the champion of the XXIX Summer Olympic Games of 2008 in Beijing, the Honored Master of Sports of the Republic of Belarus, the Chairman of the Belarusian Association of University Sports Alexander Bogdanovich, rectors of institutions of higher learning, heads of federations (associations) in sports, honored figures of physical culture and sports of the Republic of Belarus, leading athletes of the country, more than 700 students from 49 institutions of higher education.

Deputy Minister of Education Alexander Kadlubay emphasized an important trend: “Every year, student sports in our country are gaining more and more popularity. The level of organization of competitions is growing, the number of participants is expanding, and students have a unique opportunity to compete in sports competitions of the highest level.”

Today, all institutions of higher education have departments of physical education and sports. To select talented youth in sports, each higher education institution has identified specialized sports.

The central place in the system of mass student sports in our country is occupied by the Republican Universiade in 27 sports, 17 of which are Olympic.

Last year alone, more than 7.5 thousand student-athletes from 46 higher education institutions took part in the final competitions of the Universiade, and the number of participants in the first stage was more than 50 thousand people.

Every year the Universiade program is supplemented with new sports, for example, this year – dance aerobics. Also, in order to improve the program and approaches to its implementation, necessary changes are periodically made to the current regulations.

This year, students from higher education institutions of the Republic of Belarus took part in the International University Sports Festival, which was held in the city of Yekaterinburg, where they won 15 medals (1 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze).

“Of course, student sports in our country are considered as a unique part of national culture and as one of the most massive and influential movements in the world. We know that records are not easy to achieve; they are backed by years of persistent, painstaking daily preparation, and only courageous, brave, persistent, energetic and strong-willed people can successfully combine study and sports,” stated Alexander Kadlubay.

As part of the solemn event, a sports parade of captains participating in the opening ceremony of the Republican Universiade - 2023/2024, as well as the awarding of winners and prize-winners of the Republican Universiade - in the 2022/2023 academic year took place.