Press releases

Charity game featuring NHL and KHL stars held in Vitebsk for the first time

VITEBSK, 11 July (BelTA) – Vitebsk has hosted the first ever match between the local hockey team and Belarusian athletes who play for KHL and NHL clubs, BelTA has learned.

The regional center welcomed the spectacular Betera Stars Tour and served as the first stop on the sports project’s itinerary. The exhibition game at the Palace of Sports drew a full house, and it was immediately clear that the city loves and appreciates the sport. Fans gave a rousing welcome to the players of HC Vitebsk and the famous hockey stars from the NHL and KHL.

Facing the Vitebsk team was the Betera Stars squad, which included six players who had launched their professional careers in the regional center: Ilya Protas and Aliaksei Protas (whom the Vitebsk crowd greeted with particular warmth and volume), Vladislav Yeryomenko, Sergei Sapego, Yegor Sidorov, and Ivan Drozdov.

The stars scored the first goal of the game. In the second period, Vitebsk evened the score. Through the second period, the teams remained evenly matched, but in the third, the visitors stepped up their offense. The final score was 5-2 in favor of the star team.

All proceeds from ticket sales for the game will be donated to children’s welfare facilities. After the game, the organizers presented the hockey players with a certificate for Br30,000, and the athletes decided to direct that sum to charity as well.

Sergei Sapego, a former trainee of the HC Vitebsk children’s school who now plays for the Russian hockey club SKA from Saint Petersburg, shared his emotions with journalists after the exhibition game on his home ice. “It’s great that we held this charity match; so much emotion ahead of the new season. I hope such events will take place not only in Vitebsk. As a child, I trained here a lot with my brother, and when I returned and stepped onto the ice, a flood of warm memories came back,” he said. He wished young athletes just starting their journey in sports to be patient, stay disciplined, always listen to their coach, and give their all in every practice.

Nikita Yadroyets from HC Vitebsk noted that the game was a valuable step in the team’s preparation for the upcoming season. “It was a pleasure to play against such strong opponents; they’re a bit faster in some ways, and we now need to step up our game in that regard as well,” he admitted.

The star team was coached by Dmitry Baskov, a member of the Council of the Republic. After the game, he told journalists that Vitebsk was chosen for this match for a reason. “We saw beautiful, emotional hockey. This is important not only for the clubs of the Extra League but also for all hockey fans, and especially for the young boys who had the opportunity to take part in a master class with NHL and KHL players. When I was a child, I could only dream of something like that. This will now become a good tradition. The players will gather in the summer, hit the ice for the first time, thank their mentors, and delight the fans,” he said. “This was the first game; we will draw conclusions, learn from our mistakes, and I believe the next ones will be more productive in terms of scoring and spectacular goals. Today’s game was held in Vitebsk for a reason; the star team features six graduates of Vitebsk hockey. This is a tremendous credit to the children’s coaches who work here and have dedicated their lives to this. They deserve great thanks for what they do.”

Dmitry Baskov emphasized that the policy adopted by the head of state many years ago to support talented youth and promising athletes is now bearing fruit, producing a generation of Belarusian stars who grew up in sports facilities built under the president’s patronage and now represent the country on the international stage.