KAUNAS – From 15 to 17 May, the 31st SELL Student Games were held in Kaunas and they attracted a record number of participants – 1,849 student-athletes from 11 countries and 58 universities.
The young athletes were competing in 13 sport areas (track-and-field athletics, basketball, volleyball, orientation sport, mini football, table tennis, swimming, judo, triathlon, chess, aerobic gymnastics, wrestling and rugby).
With regard to the total number of won medals, the representatives of the Lithuanian universities had no equals. In total they won 67 gold, 76 silver and 76 bronze medals. The Lithuanian Sport University (LSU) was unsurpassable in the table of universities of our country. Its athletes won 58 medals in total.
| Place | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Lithuania | 67 | 76 | 76 | 219 |
| 2 | Latvia | 18 | 18 | 16 | 52 |
| 3 | Estonia | 5 | 4 | 11 | 20 |
| 4 | Finland | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Oleg Matytsin (middle)joined the circle of honorary doctors of the Lithuanian Sport University before the opening of the games
One more Honorary Doctor joined the circle of honorary doctors of the Lithuanian Sport University before the opening of the games. The LSU Honorary Doctor Professor Oleg Matytsin was inaugurated in the wellness complex “Montepacis” located in the Baroque pearl Pazaislis Monastery. The new Honorary Doctor is the President of the Russian Union of Student Sport, First Vice-President of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and Vice-President of the European University Sports Association (EUSA).
Oleg Matytsin giving his speech at the Opening Ceremony
The opening of the Games held in Kaunas Sport Hall left no person indifferent and caused many good emotions. The following persons participated in the solemn opening: Lithuanian Vice-Minister of Education Svetlana Kauzonienė, Manager of the Department of Physical Education and Sport Edis Urbonavičius, President of the European University Sports Association Adam Roczek, and the new LSU Honorary Doctor Oleg Matytsin. They also gave the welcoming speeches.
The opening ceremony of the SELL Games was also admired by the guests from China, Israel, Germany, Georgia, Great Britain, and Russia. According to the President of the Lithuanian University Sports Association, Česlovas Garbaliauskas, the hard work to organize the Games has paid dividends in warm feedback from the guests.
“We are immensely happy because of smooth course of the Games and numerous participants not only from the Baltic States but also from such distant country as China, or our friends from Georgia and Germany. It is nice to hear warm responses from the guests, who were satisfied with the level of the Games and their organization. I would like to express gratitude to all, who have contributed to the organization of wonderful event”, said Č. Garbaliauskas after the closing ceremony.
During the closing ceremony of the event, the President of the Lithuanian University Sports Association passed the flag of the Games to the Finnish representatives. The 32nd SELL Student Games will be held in Tampere city next year.
(Source: NUSF Lithuania)