On December 19, in Ufa, at the Fencing Center, the official closing ceremony of the 1st CIS Winter Sports Games for Children with Disabilities took place.

The concert program of the ceremony, based on the immortal fairy tale "The Nutcracker," immersed the audience in an atmosphere of magic and fond memories. The heartfelt choreographic and musical performances touched the heart of every attendee.

At the end of the event, kind words were spoken to the participants by the Director of the Federal Center for Sports Reserve Training, Mikhail Gusev, who conveyed greetings fr om the Minister of Sports, Mikhail Degtyarev.

"I am sure that you all had a great time at this celebration, and it doesn't matter if you won your competitions or not. The main thing is that you have proven to everyone by your example: your abilities are limitless, your strength of spirit is strong, and your thirst for victory makes you move forward despite everything," he noted in conclusion.

Warm words were also spoken fr om the stage by Rimma Batalova, a member of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, thirteen-time Paralympic champion, Deputy Minister of Sports of the Republic of Bashkortostan Igor Yermilov, and Head of the Sports Reserve Organization Department Sergei Serov.

Rimma Batalova, who adorned her jacket with medals, shared with the children that she was not born a champion but became one at the same age as the participants. She praised them for their achievements and called them true champions and heroes of our sport.

Deputy Minister of Sports Igor Yermilov conveyed words from the Minister of Sports of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Ruslan Khabibov, thanking the organizers for the celebration and congratulating everyone on the upcoming New Year.

Sergei Serov noted that the Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Bashkortostan created optimally comfortable conditions not only for the competitions but also for the cultural and leisure program.

Each of them expressed sincere admiration for the courage, determination, and sportsmanship of the participants. The farewell words included wishes for new victories, good health, and belief in their own strength for the children.

Solemnly declaring the Games closed, the honored guests emphasized that this is not a finale, but merely a new point on the path to greater achievements. A special source of pride was the participation of performers from the Deaf Culture House in the final concert program. Their performance once again brightly proved: the deaf can do anything!

On stage, Maria Vasilyeva interpreted for the deaf and hard of hearing participants.

After the ceremony, OSFSG President Dmitry Rebrov gave an interview to local television, wh ere he highly praised the organization of the Games.

And so, athletes and guests begin to depart for their homes, but the memory of these days, of the intensity of sports competition and new friends, will remain with everyone forever.

The Republic of Bashkortostan is a land with a huge heart, wh ere sport, movement, and the pursuit of excellence are sincerely valued and supported. We say to every participant: "Until we meet again!" May the next starts be even brighter, even more emotional, and even more unforgettable.

You can watch videos of this wonderful celebration in the "Sports Reserve of Russia" community.

Text: Maria Mazhenina, BashVOG, Nurlan Tazhigulov

Photos: Stanislav Kostikov, FCPSR, Ministry of Sports of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Anna Dvoynina

Translation: Daria Kudelina